Introducing: Artificial Inquiry

Exploring AI-generated analyses of current affairs—and questioning what it means for how we think, understand, and evolve.

Hello, world! I’m introducing you all to a new project of mine—this Substack called Artificial Inquiry. I’ll be using tools like ChatGPT to create academic-style analyses on topics I’m curious about but definitely not an expert in. The aim of this Substack is part experiment, part entertainment, mostly because I want to figure out what AI really can (and can’t) do. This is also my way of exploring how AI-generated research or insights complement, replace, or even hinder existing human analyses.

Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated with technology. Back in the ‘90s, at about eight years old, I taught myself HTML so I could build websites for my favorite Pokémon. Although tech never became part of my career, I’ve remained extremely online, always intrigued by how new digital frontiers reshape our lives. AI feels like exactly that—a new frontier to explore and understand, both seriously and playfully.

What can AI actually tell us about ourselves? What kind of meaningful insights can it produce academically or culturally? What happens when we start relying on AI to interpret and explain our world—does it enhance our thinking, lead us to overlook important nuances, or do something else entirely?

There are already interesting trends here. On one hand, people talk about AI replacing human tasks and causing de-skilling. On the other, there’s fascinating research showing that people may be more receptive to learning from AI as it is thought of as being “less biased.” This has even been tested in experiments to de-radicalize individuals using AI-generated information. I’m curious to see how these dynamics evolve.

I also really want this to be a conversation. Send me your ideas, your questions, your critiques. Do you have something AI-generated you’d like to explore or discuss? Are there better ways I could write prompts or structure inquiries? Is there a topic you’d like to see analyzed? Let me know.