Dave Linthicum Is Not AI

AI agents are reshaping how people interact with business software—and that's why you're hearing claims like "AI will replace SaaS." The core idea is simple: instead of employees logging into five different tools, learning each interface, and clicking through workflows, they'll describe the outcome they want and an agent will execute the steps across systems. When that happens, the  seat-based rev...

Block just announced another round of layoffs, and the loudest part of the story isn't the headcount number—it's the  narrative . The company is leaning into an "AI-driven efficiency" framing, implying that automation is the primary force reshaping teams and roles. But there's a much simpler (and more honest) explanation: overhiring followed by cost normalization.   In this video, we break down wh...

AI is everywhere, but the loudest takes aren't always the most useful. In this video, we break down five  unpopular  (and highly practical) opinions on AI drawn from David Linthicum's enterprise-focused writing—covering why "agentic AI" may be running ahead of real-world execution, why chasing hype can quietly drain budgets, and why simpler AI often delivers better near-term ROI than flashy initia...

Anthropic just raised the alarm: it says a network tied to Chinese AI companies created thousands of accounts to hammer Claude with prompts, capture the outputs, and use them to train competing models—a technique known as model distillation. If true, this is a new kind of "theft": not a server hack, but a high-volume scraping of a model's capabilities through the front door of an API. In this vide...

  For the last few years, Big Tech pushed a blunt message: AI will replace developers, automate entire departments, and become systemic to every part of life. That story drove panic, boardroom decisions, and layoffs framed as "efficiency" or "AI transformation." But here we are in 2026, and the promised overhaul still hasn't arrived.   In this video, I break down what was claimed, why it was claim...

Amazon just confirmed plans to cut roughly 16,000 roles, including in AWS—another reminder that even "safe" high-tech jobs can vanish fast. If you're being pushed out (or fear you might be), this video gives you a clear, practical playbook to regain control. First: a layoff is a business event, not a personal verdict. Your job is to stabilize your mindset and your runway so you can make smart deci...

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is intensifying its investigation into Microsoft's dominance in the world of business software, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. With a sharp focus on Microsoft's widely used products like Windows, Office, and its AI Copilot, regulators are probing claims that Microsoft may be leveraging its market power to unfairly push AI offerings onto its us...

AI regulation is moving fast—and it's not happening the same way everywhere. In this video, we break down what's underway right now across the  EU, UK, US (federal + states), and Canada  in a clear, non-hype way. You'll learn how the  EU AI Act  sets a risk-based framework (from banned practices to strict controls for high-risk systems and new rules for foundation models), while the  UK  leans on...

Microsoft pitched Copilot as the "everyday AI companion" that would turbocharge Windows. Then it landed like bloatware with a badge. This video breaks down how a hype-first launch, a forced Windows update rollout, and messy "everywhere at once" integration turned curiosity into backlash. When an assistant shows up in your taskbar, your search box, and your apps without asking, the question isn't "...

AI is rapidly turning modern marketing into a surveillance-and-optimization machine. What started with loyalty cards and basic customer databases has evolved into always-on tracking across apps, websites, and devices—feeding models that learn what people want, when they're vulnerable to buying, and how to push them toward a decision. In this video, we break down how "surveillance marketing" works...

The launch of the Amazon McKinsey Group (AMG), a high-profile partnership between AWS and McKinsey, is being presented as a game-changing initiative for enterprise-scale digital transformation. They tout end-to-end value, integrated teams, and billion-dollar business impact. But let's cut through the advertising: AMG's very existence highlights the growing desperation among cloud providers and con...

I've spent decades watching enterprises adopt technology, and the pattern is always the same: innovation only creates growth when it reduces friction and increases trust. The automotive industry is pushing AI into the cabin as if "more intelligence" automatically means "more demand." But buyers don't purchase abstractions—they purchase outcomes. Right now, much of in-car AI adds complexity to rout...

In this video, I'm going to take you back to 1985, when building AI meant rolling up your sleeves and encoding expertise by hand. I'll tell a personal story from that era—using Prolog, Lisp, and Borland M1 to create rule-based systems that could make decisions in the real world, long before the cloud and GPUs made "intelligence" feel instant. Then we'll jump to 2026, where AI is defined by foundat...

  Windows 11 can run local AI, but in real day-to-day use it often feels like it's working  against you—especially once you start stacking multiple AI tools, projects, and installs. What I found is that Linux generally delivers a smoother "AI desktop" experience: setups are more straightforward, common AI instructions match what you're actually running, and GPU-accelerated apps tend to behave more...

AI agents are the new buzzword in enterprise tech, but the real question isn't "can we build them?"—it's "can we actually  sell them in a way enterprises will trust and fund?" This video, from a Dave Linthicum-style vantage point, cuts through the marketing gloss and treats agents as what they really are: autonomous software systems wired into messy, mission-critical environments. We unpack what a...

Windows 11 wasn't "the future"—it was a forced pivot. Microsoft took an OS people relied on for speed, flexibility, and control, then locked the door behind TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and arbitrary CPU lists that stranded millions of perfectly good PCs. And for what? A redesigned UI that's less customizable, a Start Menu that feels like a billboard, and a setup flow that tries to drag Home users into a...

Everyone's hyped about AI breakthroughs—but almost nobody is talking about the bill that's being handed to normal people. In this video, we break down how the AI gold rush is quietly driving up the price of basic hardware: GPUs, RAM, SSDs, and even CPUs. Hyperscalers are signing multi‑billion‑dollar contracts and buying entire foundry runs of chips, and that doesn't just drain supply—it resets the...

Is AI coming for  your  job… or not yet? In this video, I break down a simple test to understand how exposed your role really is, based on the patterns of work AI is best at replacing. Instead of vague hype, we'll look at concrete signals that your job might be in the danger zone. You'll see the core pattern behind high‑risk roles: predictable, rules-based tasks, high repetition, and "good enough"...

   I developed this cost comparison to ground the AI discussion in economic reality instead of assumptions and marketing slides. Too often, generative and agentic AI are framed as inevitable next steps—something you add "on top" of existing systems—as if the only risk is moving too slowly. In truth, these approaches introduce substantial new costs: specialized skills, LLM usage, vector infrastruct...

In this video, I break down why the metaverse never truly crossed the chasm from early adopters to the mainstream, despite billions in investment and nonstop hype. Looking at it through the lens of adoption curves, I explain how the core experience failed to solve any urgent, everyday problem for most people. Clunky headsets, motion sickness, empty social spaces, and awkward onboarding created hug...

AI is suddenly everywhere. Not just in your phone or laptop, but in pins on your shirt, glasses on your face, gadgets in your pocket, and appliances in your kitchen. Every launch promises a sci‑fi future: your phone replaced, your life automated, your routines "optimized" by artificial intelligence.   But once the hype dies down and people actually live with these devices, a different story shows...

Artificial intelligence hasn't just changed how we work—it's rewriting the rules for how we build careers. For decades, the formula was simple: get a bachelor's degree, land a "good job," and enjoy a steady income premium over those who didn't go to college. That degree was your ticket in the door. But in an AI-first economy, that automatic advantage is disappearing. Today, AI systems can write co...

In a world where productivity and information management are more critical than ever, AI-powered note-taking devices have quickly become essential tools for busy professionals. Plaud, the world's leading AI note-taking brand, is at the forefront of this transformation with its innovative lineup of devices—Plaud Note Pro, Plaud Note, and Plaud NotePin. Each product is designed to cater to unique us...

Big Tech's race to dominate AI is starting to look less like visionary innovation and more like a dangerous addiction. Since 2023, tech giants have poured hundreds of billions into AI infrastructure, models, and moonshot products that may not reach meaningful enterprise adoption for years. Meanwhile, the technologies that actually run businesses today—cloud platforms, core SaaS tools, security, an...

In recent years, the way we write code has transformed—with AI assistants entering our text editors, autocomplete becoming disturbingly insightful, and "vibes" taking precedence over documentation. This explosive trend, now coined "vibe coding," invites developers to follow their instincts and embrace what feels right, often with a nudge from AI, rather than adhering to time-tested engineering bes...