Untangled with Charley Johnson
All ‘tech problems’ are entangled in social systems structured by power and inequality. If we don’t untangle the two, we perpetuate the status quo in the name of innovation and progress. Every Sunday, I help you untangle your system, and teach you the skills, tools, and strategies to change it. Learn more about my work here: https://www.charley-johnson.com/
Sorry Dario, Work Is Weirder Than That
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and supported by members like you. As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to this email. I read and respond to every note. On to the show! 🏡 Untangled HQ Last Week: Kate and I hosted a workshop on agenda setting for high-performing groups, and 30+ people participated! Our next event, Navigating Challenging Personalities at Work, is scheduled for March 19. Join us! New: I launched a referral...
A small ask — and something in return
Hi there, If you've been reading Untangled for a while, there's a decent chance you know someone else who'd find it useful. A colleague grappling with what must remain human when adopting AI. A funder trying to make sense of a rapidly changing landscape. A quirky uncle wondering "what even is 'AI'?" If that person exists in your life — I'd love it if you shared Untangled with them. And because I want to make it worth your while: I've set up a referral program. Refer 5 friends and get a free...
Funders Must Rethink How to Lead Through Tech-Inflected Uncertainty
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and valued by members like you. This week, I'm sharing an essay that Michelle Shevin and I published earlier this week in Tech Policy Press about how funders must rethink how to lead through tech-inflected uncertainty. AI promises to optimize away uncertainty. But generative AI just flattens complexity into a neat interface. Public interest tech leaders need a different approach—one built on relational infrastructure....
What Must Remain Human?
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and valued by members like you. This week, I'm sharing a process any organization can use to reconfigure human-machine workflow. Because the key question for companies and organizations adopting AI isn't "what can we automate," it's "How do we design work that takes advantage of what machines do well, while protecting what makes us irreplaceably human?" As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to...
What If We Regulated Chatbots Like Any Other Product?
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and valued by members like you. Today, I’m sharing my conversation with Ben Winters, Director of AI and Privacy at Consumer Federation of America, about The People First Chatbot Bill—model legislation for regulating chatbots that’s been endorsed by over 70 organizations. As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to this email. I read and respond to every note. 🔦Untangled HQ The Untangled Collective...
The Intelligence of a Hunch: What AI Will Never Have
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and valued by members like you. Today, I’m writing about why so-called "world models" can't save AI, and the intelligence of a hunch. As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to this email. I read and respond to every note. 🔦Untangled HQ There is a lot going on y’all, so I thought I would break it down. For those keeping track, you can get involved in Untangled via: Community The Untangled...
When Your AI Assistant Becomes an Advertiser
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and supported by members like you. This week I’m sharing my conversation with Miranda Bogen (Director, AI Governance Lab, Center for Democracy & Technology) about what happens when your AI assistant becomes an advertiser. (Watch below or listen on Apple or Spotify) As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to this email. I read and respond to every note. Don’t forget to sign up for The Untangled...
What Happens When Your Coworkers Are AI Agents
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and supported by members like you. This week, I spoke with Evan Ratliff, journalist and host of the thought-provoking podcast, Shell Game. As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to this email. I read and respond to every note. On to the show! 🔦 Untangled HQ I launched The Facilitators' Workshop, a community of practice for leaders who want to perfect the craft of facilitating groups through...
Hope Is a Systems Skill
Hi there, Welcome back to Untangled. It’s written by me, Charley Johnson, and supported by members like you. This week, I’m writing about hope, and why it is a complex systems skill. As always, please send me feedback on today’s post by replying to this email. I read and respond to every note. On to the show! 🔦 Untangled HQ Untangled Collective I launched the Untangled Collective this week, and hosted the first community event on Wednesday. Afterwards, a number of the attendees asked if I...
Your Responsible AI PDF Is Lovely. Now Let’s Make It… Real
🖇️ Some Links I co-authored an academic article, “Troubling translation: Sociotechnical research in AI policy and governance” in the Internet Policy Review. Cool, huh? A new paper argues that you should stop thinking of automated decision systems as predictive and start thinking of them as policy interventions. Collective Intelligence Project found that more people consistently answer that question with a resounding ‘Yes.’ Everything follows from how your organization thinks about data and...
All ‘tech problems’ are entangled in social systems structured by power and inequality. If we don’t untangle the two, we perpetuate the status quo in the name of innovation and progress. Every Sunday, I help you untangle your system, and teach you the skills, tools, and strategies to change it. Learn more about my work here: https://www.charley-johnson.com/