Critical Thinking in the Age of AI

Episoade

• Who Pays When AI Takes the Jobs? The Token Tax, Explained 29.04.2026 19min

  Three-quarters of all U.S. federal tax revenue comes from labor. So what happens when AI starts replacing the workers that revenue depends on? In this episode, Shae breaks down a January 2026 Brookings Institution paper on the future of tax policy in the age of AI — walking through five proposed AI taxes, explaining exactly how a token tax works and when it does not, and asking the harder question underneath all of it: fund government to do what, and for whom?"The Future of Tax Policy: A Public Finance Framework for the Age of AI" , Anton Korinek & Lee Lockwood, Brookings Institution (January 2026) - https://www.brookings.edu/articles/future-tax-policy-a-public-finance-framework-for-the-age-of-ai/Companion Technical Working Paper, Korinek & Lockwood, Brookings Institution (January 2026) - https://www.brookings.edu/articles/public-finance-age-ai-primerFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Beginner’s Guide to LocalAI: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/a-beginners-guide-to-local-ai- Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• Before You Use Local AI, You Need to Know This 17.04.2026 22min

  Hey folks, you asked for Part 2, and here it is. This episode is the context that makes the local AI discussion actually make sense: what the open-source AI ecosystem is, where it comes from, how to navigate it without making expensive mistakes, and why using local AI and commercial AI together is not a contradiction.A lot covered here!!Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• Notion vs. Obsidian: Which One Actually Supports Deep Thinking? 31.03.2026 17min

  WELCOME TO MY STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS! Sorry for the singing, but the substance is there 🥹Most people treat Notion versus Obsidian as a choice you have to make once. It is not. They are designed for completely different kinds of work, and understanding that distinction will change how you use both of them.Listen to LocalAI episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y21VJtZszaIFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• The Ant Company: Why Small and Focused Beats Scale Right Now 26.03.2026 19min

  The traditional full-time job is not disappearing overnight, but the conditions that made it stable are changing faster than most people realize. In this episode, I break down what the gig economy data actually says, why AI is accelerating the disaggregation of knowledge work specifically, and why the most strategic response is not to chase scale but to build with precision. She introduces the concept of the Ant Company: small, focused, community-rooted, and increasingly powerful in a landscape that AI is reorganizing from the bottom up.Sources Referenced:Upwork / Freelancers Union Future Workforce Report: https://www.upwork.com/research/future-workforce-index-2025Freelance Economy Statistics, DemandSage (2025): https://www.demandsage.com/gig-economy-statistics/Gig Economy Statistics, Pebl / Velocity Global (2025) — https://hellopebl.com/resources/blog/gig-economy-statistics/Proverbs 30:25, ESV — https://www.bible.com/bible/59/pro.30.25.ESVFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• How to Use AI Without Using Data Centers: A Beginner's Guide to Local and Offline AI 09.03.2026 20min

  There's an entire ecosystem of AI tools, many of them free, open-source, and running entirely on your own device, that most people have never heard of. This episode breaks down what local AI is, what you give up when you use it, and which tools are worth trying today. Including Jan.ai, Locally AI for Apple devices, and Obsidian for local project management. If your AI use involves anything sensitive, this episode is for you.Sources ReferencedJan.ai (open-source, offline AI assistant for Mac, Windows, Linux): https://www.jan.aiLocally AI (on-device AI for iPhone, iPad, and Mac): https://locallyai.appObsidian (local-first knowledge management): https://obsidian.mdFeatherless AI (catalog of 26,000+ open-source models): https://featherless.aiFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• Uncovering the Plan to Keep You in the Dark About AI | IASEAI Day 2 Recap 27.02.2026 17min

  There's a concept that reframes everything you thought you knew about AI transparency and it came from one of the most powerful talks on AI I've ever witnessed in person.At the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI conference in Paris, former White House OSTP Director Dr. Alondra Nelson introduced the concept of algorithmic agnotology: the deliberate, strategic production of ignorance by AI companies to avoid accountability. It's not just corporate spin, but a system. Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• AI Safety Is Failing. Yoshua Bengio & Experts Explain Why | IASEAI 2026 Day 1 Recap 26.02.2026 21min

  What is actually happening at the frontier of AI safety research? I attended Day One of IASEAI 2026, the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI, in Paris, and I'm breaking down everything you need to know.Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!
• Something Bigger Than AI is Happening. You've Been Warned. 16.02.2026 20min

  I just published this essay and I wanted to publish the audio version so it can reach as many people as possible. Read + Share this essay, please: https://open.substack.com/pub/shaeomonijo/p/something-bigger-than-ai-is-happening?r=2ptp7i&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• The Real Crisis Isn’t AI, It’s Us 16.02.2026 23min

  We blame students for using ChatGPT to write essays. We shame people for turning to AI companions. We criticize workers for automating emails. But what if the real problem isn't individual moral failure per se, but moreso that generative AI is exposing incentive structures that were already broken?**I recorded this voice note a week ago.Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• Who Controls AI? Mark Carney, Davos, and the Case for AI Sovereignty 13.02.2026 14min

  In this episode, I unpack Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos and explore what they reveal about AI sovereignty, decentralization, and the global race between the United States and China.As AI infrastructure consolidates around a handful of powerful labs, countries and individuals are facing a deeper structural question: who controls intelligence infrastructure?Sorry, I have a bit of a cold, but still wanted to get this voice note out to you all.Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• AI Agents Created Their Own Religion (Moltbook, OpenClaw, Clawdbot) 01.02.2026 18min

  AI agents just created their own religion. On a social network called Moltbook, autonomous AI powered by OpenClaw spontaneously formed "Crustafarianism" complete with scriptures, prophets, and encrypted communication to hide from humans. But before you panic about the AI apocalypse, let's cut through the hype and talk about what's actually happening.IBM: "OpenClaw: The viral 'space lobster' agent testing limits" - https://www.ibm.com/think/news/clawdbot-ai-agent-testing-limits-vertical-integration404 Media Reporting on Moltbook database: https://www.404media.co/exposed-moltbook-database-let-anyone-take-control-of-any-ai-agent-on-the-site/Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• How to Get Disgustingly Educated in Anything This Year 30.01.2026 21min

  How does a historian learn AI research well enough to contribute meaningfully to policy conversations? In this episode, I share the six-step self-education framework I used to move into a completely new field, and how you can apply it to learn anything deeply. We're living in an autodidact period where universities can't teach everything you want to know, especially about AI. This is about cultivating intellectual health, resisting the outsourcing of critical thinking, and getting disgustingly educated in whatever calls to you, not for credentials, but for intellectual sovereignty!!Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeoEmail: pr@iamshaeo.com1:1 SupportBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• The History of AI Explained: 75 Years of Trying to Build Thinking Machines 29.01.2026 23min

  Everyone acts like AI just appeared overnight with ChatGPT. But we've been building toward this moment for 75 years and every generation has completely redefined what "artificial intelligence" even means.This episode traces the full history of AI: from Alan Turing's foundational 1950 question through the optimistic Dartmouth Conference, two brutal AI winters, the machine learning revolution, and the generative moment we're in now.But this isn't just a tech timeline. No, I think it's a story about what we think intelligence is, why we keep building AI in our own image, and what happens when those systems don't transcend our limitations the way we hoped.I reference a previous episode on the appearance of intelligence, so make sure you listen to that one as well!Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a CoffeeEmail: pr@iamshaeo.comBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo GuidesAI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guideCritical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• How AI Is Quietly Destroying Democracy (New Research) 26.01.2026 20min

  In this episode, I break down Woodrow Hartzog and Jessica Silbey's paper "How AI Destroys Institutions" and explain why anyone who cares about knowledge, power, and culture needs to get involved in AI governance NOW.KEY POINTS:How AI undermines expertise through skill atrophyWhy AI removes humans from critical decision pointsHow AI isolates us and destroys social capitalThe four institutions currently under attackWhy this is about power vacuum, not tech billionairesWhat humanists can actually do about itRead the Paper: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5870623My AI Collapse Thesis: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/ais-hidden-crisis-the-industry-isFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• The Appearance of Intelligence: Why It Doesn't Matter If AI Is Truly Conscious 21.01.2026 22min

  ChatGPT coughed during a study session and it broke a student's brain. For a split second, their mind processed: "Wait, is it sick?" This seemingly small moment reveals why the entire debate about AI consciousness is asking the wrong question.In this episode, I explore why the appearance of AI consciousness matters infinitely more than whether AI is "truly" conscious. Drawing on Kant's distinction between phenomena and noumena, and Foucault's theory of epistemes, I argue we might be entering a fourth episteme where language doesn't just represent reality—it constitutes it.I break down Mustafa Suleyman's (Microsoft AI CEO) warning about "Seemingly Conscious AI," explain why it can be built RIGHT NOW with existing technology, and explore the three major risks: AI rights movements, psychological dependency, and fundamentally misallocated moral concern.Sources:Foucault, Michel Foucault, The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences, 1966. Bookshop Affiliate Link for Paperback: https://bookshop.org/a/106838/9780679753353Bookshop Affiliate Link for eBook: https://bookshop.org/a/106838/9780307819307Mustafa Suleyman, "Seemingly Conscious AI isComing." Personal blog, August 19, 2025.https://mustafa-suleyman.ai/seemingly-conscious-ai-is-coming"Researchers Performed Psychotherapy on AI — Here'sWhat Happened." Nature, January 2025.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-04112-2John-Stewart Gordon, "Artificial Moral and LegalPersonhood," AI & SOCIETY 36, no. 2 (2021): 457–71,https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-01063-2.Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• Why Does Work Feel Pointless? The Real Future of Work Crisis 15.01.2026 24min

  Even before AI entered the picture, we'd already lost the plot on work. This episode uses a viral Substack article about "the death of the corporate job" as a launching pad to ask deeper questions: What is work for? Why do we tie our entire identities to our jobs? And how do we create a future where work actually serves human flourishing?Drawing on Hannah Arendt's philosophy, we explore the difference between labor (survival), work (creation), and action (meaningful engagement)—and why collapsing all three into "having a job" leaves us feeling hollow. We also examine why the fantasy of UBI + infinite leisure misunderstands human nature, and why the future of work isn't only about AI, but about confronting questions we've been avoiding for decades.Read the Alex McCann's substack article here: https://thestillwandering.substack.com/p/the-death-of-the-corporate-job**I was referring to the 2023 NEA reading study, not 2003. Read it here: https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2024/federal-data-reading-pleasure-all-signs-show-slumpFollow me onFollow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• Does AI really use that much water? The Truth About AI's Environmental Impact 13.01.2026 21min

  AI data centers are reshaping communities, but they’re not inevitable, and they’re not unregulated. In this episode, we break down Microsoft’s new “Community-First AI Infrastructure” commitments, analyze what they actually mean, and explain how real communities have already blocked or reshaped AI data center projects. Read the announcement with me while you listen: https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2026/01/13/community-first-ai-infrastructure/Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• When Did Humans Stop Being the Default? The Coming 'Organic Label' for Human Content 10.01.2026 28min

  In this episode, I walk through the cultural reckoning that's already begun:A Japanese author wins a prestigious literary prize, then reveals 5% was ChatGPT-generated, sparking a crisis about what "using AI" even meansSam Altman (OpenAI's CEO) is building iris-scanning technology to verify human identity because he knows what's comingThe Authors Guild is racing to create "human-made" labels for booksBut here's the problem: How do we define "human-made" when AI is in our spell-checkers, our research tools, our editing software, our creative process?At what percentage does something stop being yours? At what point in the process does AI involvement "count"? And who gets to decide?These aren't hypothetical questions. These are the standards being set right now—in awards committees, publishing houses, galleries, and platforms. The defaults being established today will shape what gets valued, compensated, and trusted for decades.This episode isn't about being pro-AI or anti-AI, especially now that AI is everywhere and embedded. It's about being intentional. Because this shift is happening whether we're ready or not, and we get to decide what we value in the transition.I want to hear your thoughts: Should human-made content carry a premium? Would you pay attention to a "human-made" label? If you discovered something you loved was AI-generated, would that change how you feel about it?Let's figure this out together.Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• Critical Thinking 101: Arguments, Premises & Cognitive Biases | Essential Skills for the AI Age 08.01.2026 21min

  Learn the fundamental building blocks of critical thinking in this foundational episode. I break down what critical thinking actually means in practice and give you the tools to evaluate claims, spot weak arguments, and avoid cognitive biases.In this episode, you'll learn:What critical thinking really is (and why it's not just being smart)The difference between beliefs, claims, and issuesHow to identify premises and conclusions in argumentsConfirmation bias: why we notice information that confirms our beliefsBelief bias: how our pre-existing beliefs affect our evaluation of logicWhy these skills are essential for navigating AI and information overloadThis is a reference episode, so please bookmark it and return whenever you need a reminder of what clear thinking looks like.Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists 
• California's AI Transparency Law and the xAI Lawsuit: What You Need to Know 06.01.2026 18min

  California just implemented one of the most comprehensive AI transparency laws in the country and it's already facing a constitutional challenge. In this episode, I break down California Assembly Bill 2013, the AI Data Transparency Act that went into effect January 1, 2026, and xAI's lawsuit filed just days before.What is AB 2013?The law requires AI companies doing business in California to publicly disclose detailed information about the datasets used to train their generative AI systems including sources, whether copyrighted material was used, cleaning processes, and more.Why is xAI suing?xAI argues the law forces them to reveal valuable trade secrets, violates the First Amendment by compelling speech, and is unconstitutionally vague. Their central claim: this information helps competitors replicate their models but doesn't actually help consumers make informed decisions.The bigger questions:This lawsuit raises critical questions about AI governance: How do we audit black-box systems? Who decides what "aligned AI" means? What happens when critical infrastructure is completely opaque? And how do we balance innovation incentives with democratic oversight?Topics covered:California AB 2013 requirements xAI's constitutional arguments The epistemological stakes of AI transparencyThe AI data scarcity crisis and industry responsesTrade secrets vs. public right to knowWhat this means for the future of AI regulationKey questions for you:What level of transparency should we demand from AI systems that make decisions about our lives? Should training data be considered proprietary trade secrets? How do we create accountability for systems we can't fully understand?This is the second episode of Critical Thinking in the Age of AI, a podcast about AI's intersection with culture, society, and what it means to be human. If you care about thinking critically about our collective AI future, subscribe and join the conversation.Resources mentioned:California AB 2013: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2013xAI v. Bonta Lawsuit (Case No. 2:25-cv-12295): PDF linked in this article: https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/2025/12/31/elon-musks-xai-represented-by-clement-murphy-firm-sues-california-law-ab-2013-the-generative-ai-training-data-transparency-act/ Follow me onInsta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/ Buy Me a Matcha: Buy Me a CoffeeBook a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists