For some, artificial intelligence tools answer questions and make life more efficient. But for others, AI has become a form of companionship – a virtual friend, a therapist, even a romantic partner. Is AI a cure for loneliness? Or is this a symptom of something gone very wrong? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores AI relationships with Sherry Turkle, Justin Gregg and Nick Thompson.
In this tutorial, we build a hierarchical planner agent using an open-source instruct model. We design a structured multi-agent architecture comprising a planner agent, an executor agent, and an aggregator agent, where each component plays a specialized role in solving complex tasks. We use the planner agent to decompose high-level goals into actionable steps, the executor agent to execute those steps using reasoning or Python tool execution, and the aggregator agent to synthesize results into a coherent final response. By integrating tool usage, structured planning, and iterative execution, we create a fully autonomous agent system that demonstrates how modern AI agents reason, plan, and act in a scalable and modular manner.
Permacomputing is a concept and community of practice oriented around resilience and regenerativity in computer and network technology, inspired by permaculture. It encourages a sustainable approach to computing, maximizing hardware lifespans, minimizing energy use, and focusing on existing resources.
Announcement of the SF Permacomputing Club, a meetup group discussing and working with the principles of permacomputing, focusing on resilience, regenerativity, and alternatives to mainstream computing infrastructure.
A workshop at CHI 2026 in Barcelona focusing on how sensemaking is being changed by AI, including submissions for papers on sensemaking behaviors, tools, and the role of AI. The workshop will involve presentations, group discussions, and the development of insights into the evolving field of sensemaking.
Superhuman announced the expansion of Superhuman Go’s AI agent ecosystem with new partner agents from Box, Gamma, and Wayground. These agents bring specialized capabilities like visual content creation and enterprise document access to users within the tools they rely on every day, accelerating the growth of Superhuman Go’s open agent platform.
Google is announcing the public preview of the Developer Knowledge API and its associated Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. These tools provide a machine-readable gateway to Google’s official developer documentation, enabling AI assistants to access accurate and up-to-date information for building with Google technologies like Firebase, Android, and Google Cloud.
This article discusses how to effectively prompt local Large Language Models (LLMs) like those run with LM Studio or Ollama. It explains that local LLMs behave differently than cloud-based models and require more explicit and structured prompts for optimal results. The article provides guidance on how to craft better prompts, including using clear language, breaking down tasks into steps, and providing examples.
A look at Roger Zelazny's 'Lord of Light,' a science fiction novel blending Hindu mythology with futuristic technology, and its intriguing history, including alleged CIA interest and attempts to suppress its distribution. The article details the book's unique premise, its influence on other works, and the reasons behind the CIA's reported concerns.
LEGO has unveiled a new 'smart brick' that can detect how it's being played with and react accordingly. This brick, developed in partnership with Wired, uses a combination of sensors and AI to understand building techniques and provide feedback. It's designed to inspire creativity and learning through play, offering features like pose detection, color recognition, and shape identification. The brick is part of LEGO's ongoing efforts to integrate technology into its building system, aiming to create more interactive and educational experiences.
