Critical Thinking in the Age of AI

Shae Omonijo
  • 4.9 (19)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Voice notes from your favorite humanist and Harvard PhD Candidate on the AI developments that actually matter! Each episode, I break down what’s happening in AI, from new research to policy shifts to workplace transformations, and explain what it means through a humanities lens. No hype, no jargon, just clear thinking about how AI is reshaping work, knowledge, and society. If you like to think critically about the future, this place is for you!

  1. APR 29

    Who Pays When AI Takes the Jobs? The Token Tax, Explained

    Three-quarters of all U.S. federal tax revenue comes from labor. So what happens when AI starts replacing the workers that revenue depends on? In this episode, Shae breaks down a January 2026 Brookings Institution paper on the future of tax policy in the age of AI — walking through five proposed AI taxes, explaining exactly how a token tax works and when it does not, and asking the harder question underneath all of it: fund government to do what, and for whom? "The Future of Tax Policy: A Public Finance Framework for the Age of AI" , Anton Korinek & Lee Lockwood, Brookings Institution (January 2026) - https://www.brookings.edu/articles/future-tax-policy-a-public-finance-framework-for-the-age-of-ai/Companion Technical Working Paper, Korinek & Lockwood, Brookings Institution (January 2026) - https://www.brookings.edu/articles/public-finance-age-ai-primer Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Beginner’s Guide to LocalAI: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/a-beginners-guide-to-local-ai-  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    20 min

  2. APR 17

    Before You Use Local AI, You Need to Know This

    Hey folks, you asked for Part 2, and here it is. This episode is the context that makes the local AI discussion actually make sense: what the open-source AI ecosystem is, where it comes from, how to navigate it without making expensive mistakes, and why using local AI and commercial AI together is not a contradiction. A lot covered here!! Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    23 min

  3. MAR 31

    Notion vs. Obsidian: Which One Actually Supports Deep Thinking?

    WELCOME TO MY STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS! Sorry for the singing, but the substance is there 🥹 Most people treat Notion versus Obsidian as a choice you have to make once. It is not. They are designed for completely different kinds of work, and understanding that distinction will change how you use both of them. Listen to LocalAI episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y21VJtZszaI Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    17 min

  4. MAR 26

    The Ant Company: Why Small and Focused Beats Scale Right Now

    The traditional full-time job is not disappearing overnight, but the conditions that made it stable are changing faster than most people realize. In this episode, I break down what the gig economy data actually says, why AI is accelerating the disaggregation of knowledge work specifically, and why the most strategic response is not to chase scale but to build with precision. She introduces the concept of the Ant Company: small, focused, community-rooted, and increasingly powerful in a landscape that AI is reorganizing from the bottom up. Sources Referenced: Upwork / Freelancers Union Future Workforce Report: https://www.upwork.com/research/future-workforce-index-2025Freelance Economy Statistics, DemandSage (2025): https://www.demandsage.com/gig-economy-statistics/Gig Economy Statistics, Pebl / Velocity Global (2025) — https://hellopebl.com/resources/blog/gig-economy-statistics/Proverbs 30:25, ESV — https://www.bible.com/bible/59/pro.30.25.ESVFollow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    19 min

  5. MAR 9

    How to Use AI Without Using Data Centers: A Beginner's Guide to Local and Offline AI

    There's an entire ecosystem of AI tools, many of them free, open-source, and running entirely on your own device, that most people have never heard of. This episode breaks down what local AI is, what you give up when you use it, and which tools are worth trying today. Including Jan.ai, Locally AI for Apple devices, and Obsidian for local project management. If your AI use involves anything sensitive, this episode is for you. Sources Referenced Jan.ai (open-source, offline AI assistant for Mac, Windows, Linux): https://www.jan.aiLocally AI (on-device AI for iPhone, iPad, and Mac): https://locallyai.appObsidian (local-first knowledge management): https://obsidian.mdFeatherless AI (catalog of 26,000+ open-source models): https://featherless.aiFollow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    21 min

  6. FEB 27

    Uncovering the Plan to Keep You in the Dark About AI | IASEAI Day 2 Recap

    There's a concept that reframes everything you thought you knew about AI transparency and it came from one of the most powerful talks on AI I've ever witnessed in person. At the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI conference in Paris, former White House OSTP Director Dr. Alondra Nelson introduced the concept of algorithmic agnotology: the deliberate, strategic production of ignorance by AI companies to avoid accountability. It's not just corporate spin, but a system. Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    17 min

  7. FEB 26

    AI Safety Is Failing. Yoshua Bengio & Experts Explain Why | IASEAI 2026 Day 1 Recap

    What is actually happening at the frontier of AI safety research? I attended Day One of IASEAI 2026, the International Association for Safe and Ethical AI, in Paris, and I'm breaking down everything you need to know. Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists  *This post may contain Bookshop affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my work!

    21 min
  8. Something Bigger Than AI is Happening. You've Been Warned.

    FEB 16

    Something Bigger Than AI is Happening. You've Been Warned.

    I just published this essay and I wanted to publish the audio version so it can reach as many people as possible. Read + Share this essay, please: https://open.substack.com/pub/shaeomonijo/p/something-bigger-than-ai-is-happening?r=2ptp7i&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true Follow me on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iamshaeo/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamshaeo  Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/  Buy Me a Matcha:  https://buymeacoffee.com/iamshaeo Email: pr@iamshaeo.com 1:1 Support Book a 1:1 Call with me: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/bookacall-7xv4fsun  Check out my Stan store: https://stan.store/iamshaeo  Guides AI for Humanists: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/ai-resource-learning-guide Critical Thinking Skills Guide: https://stan.store/iamshaeo/p/critical-thinking-skills-in-the-age-of-ai  Check out my Bookshop curated reading lists: https://shaeomonijo.substack.com/p/reading-lists

    21 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Voice notes from your favorite humanist and Harvard PhD Candidate on the AI developments that actually matter! Each episode, I break down what’s happening in AI, from new research to policy shifts to workplace transformations, and explain what it means through a humanities lens. No hype, no jargon, just clear thinking about how AI is reshaping work, knowledge, and society. If you like to think critically about the future, this place is for you!

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