AI costs are rising, but proving value is still a challenge
AI costs are rising, but proving value is still a challenge
 -  As AI prices rise, companies' unchecked spending is coming under scrutiny. AI has removed speed constraints from development, but faster code doesn't automatically translate to revenue or business value.
Care about what you do — even when nobody's watching
Care about what you do — even when nobody's watching
 -  I've spent years writing about technology without identifying the thread connecting it all. Then I realised: I'm obsessed with people who care about the things they do – and frustrated by those who don't.
Google's AI push could break the information economy
Google's AI push could break the information economy
 -  If Google's new AI features stop traffic flowing to websites, fewer people will bother running them. That could disrupt the entire online information economy – and deprive AI models of the data they use to learn.
Coinbase restructure is a huge bet on AI productivity
Coinbase restructure is a huge bet on AI productivity
 -  Brian Armstrong is bracing against market volatility with a flatter org chart, hands-on managers, and fleets of AI agents. But Coinbase's pivot comes with its own contradictions – and exposes it to new risks.
Cheap AI got us hooked — now it wants its Uber moment
Cheap AI got us hooked — now it wants its Uber moment
 -  Big Tech spent years subsidising AI access to build the habit. Now those subsidies are ending. With prices rising and AI embedded in core processes, businesses need to plan for continuity if it becomes unaffordable.
Ticketmaster randomly cancelled my gig tickets — twice
Ticketmaster randomly cancelled my gig tickets — twice
 -  My Muse tickets were cancelled three days before the show because Ticketmaster claimed I was a bot. To make things right, I had to navigate a Kafkaesque web of chatbots, generic responses, and delays.
Kagi – a paid search engine that supports the small web
Kagi – a paid search engine that supports the small web
 -  Before algorithmic bias and advertising took over, search felt different. Kagi is trying to take us back — stripping out ads and SEO spam, and actively promoting the small web that most engines quietly suppress.
Field Notes 9 // Museums, Facebook, and new Muse
Field Notes 9 // Museums, Facebook, and new Muse
 -  An 18th Century plate that keeps returning to mind, Sarah Wynn-Williams' damning account of life inside Facebook, and new music from Muse that takes me back to summer nights in the 2000s.
New Xbox boss Asha Sharma inherits an identity crisis
New Xbox boss Asha Sharma inherits an identity crisis
 -  For a decade, Xbox built its identity on edge, attitude, and hardcore gaming. Recent attempts to chase broader appeal have muddied the waters, and new CEO Asha Sharma must decide what Xbox actually is.
Good business writing makes the reader's life easier
Good business writing makes the reader's life easier
 -  The key to good business writing is empathy – not emotional, but practical. Put yourself in the recipient's shoes to make action effortless and eliminate painful back-and-forths, making for more efficient business.
About MattCASmith About MattCASmith MattCASmith feed MattCASmith feed Email MattCASmith Email MattCASmith MattCASmith on X MattCASmith on X MattCASmith on Bluesky MattCASmith on Bluesky