Welcome to AI Side Chats — a new companion to my newsletter, AI Side Notes. These are short (10-15 minutes), informal conversations with fellow Substackers, journalists, and independent voices in the AI space. They’re not polished interviews or breaking news, just candid back-and-forths that pull back the curtain on how we think about AI, the stories we chase, and the messy realities of covering (and living with) this technology.
For this first episode, I reached out to Cecily Mauran, a tech reporter at Mashable covering AI. Last year, Cecily reached out to a group of AI journalists to join a group chat that she called a “support group.” I initially was skeptical that the idea would work with a bunch of journos who compete with each other for every scoop and big interview, but it has actually become a great way to get advice, let off steam, crack some jokes and exchange deep thoughts about AI.
So it felt fitting to start with Cecily — not just because she’s a sharp observer of the AI beat, but because she’s been building community among reporters at a moment when the pace of this story can feel overwhelming.
As always, I welcome your thoughts — who else should I sit down with for future Side Chats? 🤔
