A visit to a lab where biology and computation dissolve into each other. The paradigm is shifting—not toward silicon rapture, but toward understanding what life actually does.
Intelligence keeps appearing where the old categories say it can't. Cells that solve problems. Systems that learn without brains. The neat divisions between biological and computational are coming apart.
Happy February! From our home to the broader world, January 2026 is a month we'd rather not repeat. So here's to a new month!
BIG NEWS: HELEN PUBLISHED THE ARTIFICIALITY
In 2026, you'll notice a shift in our publishing. In addition to our independent essays, we are introducing digital books. First out from Helen is The Artificiality: AI, Culture, and Why the Future Will Be Co-Evolution. Released digitally, you can read everything on our site. We are considering paper and epub versions so let us know if that's something you'd be interested in having.
What the book is about: Co-evolution with AI is already underway. The question is whether we stay human inside it. This book shows why that question is harder than it sounds.
BIG NEWS: THE ARTIFICIALITY INSTITUTE IS NOW A 501(c)(3)!
Yes, the Artificiality Institute is now recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. And, yes, that means that contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Please consider supporting our work. Our research, publishing, and community are dependent on donor support.
You can learn more and donate—however small or large—here.
Check Out Our New Speaking & Events
We are building our speaking & events offerings to help spread the word and to support the rest of our work—and we could use your support and introductions.
As you know, for the past decade, we've researched what happens to people when AI enters their work—not the technology side, but the human side. How it changes thinking, identity, judgment. What we see right now: people are working with AI and figuring out the boundaries on their own—when to use it, when not to, what to tell colleagues, what to keep hidden. Meanwhile, leadership is making decisions without real visibility into what's actually happening.
We've turned this into three kinds of engagements:
Keynotes for conferences and leadership gatherings—we call ours "Stay Human." It gives people language for what they've been sensing and conviction that they get to choose who they become.
The Inside View for organizations that need more than a talk. We conduct ethnographic interviews across teams, surface the real patterns—where AI enables breakthrough work and where it creates invisible dependency—then reflect that story back to the organization, not just leadership. Teams hear their own experiences named, gain shared language for dynamics they've been navigating alone, and open a conversation most organizations haven't known how to have. They walk away with a framework, practical tools, and a roadmap for building the culture they actually want.
A custom summit inside your walls. We bring the methods that have made our annual Summit transformational: frameworks that make invisible dynamics visible, exercises that surface what people have been carrying alone, facilitated dialogue that builds shared understanding. A full day (or more) of structured inquiry into how AI is reshaping your work—not the surface conversation about tools and productivity, but the deeper one about thinking, judgment, and what you can become.
We're actively growing this work. If anyone comes to mind—someone planning a conference, leading an organization through AI transition, or trying to understand what's really shifting in their culture—we would be grateful for an introduction.
Our video production is up, especially short videos. Follow us on your favorite channels—and please like, share, and repost to help us spread the word.
Dave Edwards is a Co-Founder of Artificiality. He previously co-founded Intelligentsia.ai (acquired by Atlantic Media) and worked at Apple, CRV, Macromedia, Morgan Stanley, Quartz, and ThinkEquity.
