Archive
The complete INLEVEL9 archive of analysis across technology, economics, and the humanities.
2026
AI Covers Take a Singer's Voice, Not Their Copyright
Korean copyright law protects only the composition behind an AI cover song—not the borrowed vocal identity.
BusinessWhy AI Agents Are Logging into BBS Boards via SSH
A look at modern BBSs serving humans via web and agents via SSH or MCP, and what reusing existing interfaces means for deployment costs.
BusinessMeta's Muse Ships With a Built-In Watchdog Agent
What Meta shipped is a control structure—the computer even Meta can't see into is still due later this year.
BusinessMore Sign-Offs Don't Mean More Actual Review
When AI output multiplies, someone still has to read it—so approval counts, review time, and execution risk all need sizing up front.
BusinessGemini's 1 Billion Users Aren't a Ranking Story
One benchmark table holds gaps as small as 0.3 points and as large as 38 points.
BusinessCalifornia's 5% Wealth Tax vs an 80% Founder Pledge
I compare California's wealth tax to AI founders' pledges, then flag how to read investment, tax, and jobs data before drawing conclusions.
BusinessDon't Cram Discovery, Understanding, and Conversion Into One Video
A single short-form clip can't introduce a brand, explain it, and close the sale—each channel needs its own job.
BusinessSet Data, Approval, and Recovery Rules Before Adopting AI
Public-sector guidelines and Korea's AI Basic Act reveal why assigning data, approval, and recovery duties matters more than picking a model.
BusinessWhen Solving Hard Problems No Longer Proves Expertise
25 Fields Medalists and 31% of the consulting market are pointing to the same breakdown.
BusinessHow You Sell GPU Compute Changes Your Margins
Buying servers, subleasing them, or billing by API token each demand different upfront cash and payback timelines.
BusinessWhat Counts as One 'Resolution' in AI Support Pricing
Fin charges $0.99 per resolved ticket, but the definition of "resolved" decides what you're really paying for.
BusinessSamsung and ASML Both Bet on the Same AI Startup
Mistral's last two funding rounds were both led by companies that own factories, not venture funds.
BusinessWhat to Check First Before Advertising in AI Shopping
Ad formats matter less than whether your product data can survive an AI's comparison and checkout flow.
BusinessMonday.com Cut 20% of Its Staff as Revenue Grew 22%
Much of this earnings season's profit came from layoffs—but where a company cuts reveals more than how many it lets go.
BusinessWhy IKEA Names Its Bookcases After Men
A naming workshop I ran and IKEA's product-naming rules both show why criteria should come before candidates.
BusinessAnthropic Uses Stripe, Yet Reviews Billing In-House
Anthropic runs on Stripe but still evaluates building its own billing—here's where control over pricing logic matters most.
BusinessWhen an AI Agent Orders Wrong, Who's Liable?
Clicking approve doesn't settle liability—intent, delegated authority, execution logs, and recovery options all matter.
BusinessWashington's Fix for AI Theft: Quietly Dumb Down Answers
The detection trigger is usage pattern, not nationality—so Korean firms could trip the same alarm.
BusinessOptimistic About AI, Yet Afraid of Falling Behind
AI optimism, fear of falling behind, and organizational readiness are separate issues—here's what Korean surveys actually show.
BusinessHiring Freezes: The Overlooked Side of AI and Jobs
Beyond layoffs, quiet cuts to hiring plans deserve the same scrutiny when we talk about AI's effect on jobs.
BusinessASML's AI Diagnostics Raise New Data Control Questions
Beyond benchmarks: why ASML's AI rollout puts data storage, training rights, and access control on the negotiating table.
BusinessZurich Tested 100 Students on Vibe Coding, No Code Shown
In a Zurich study, students who said they used LLMs more often actually built worse apps.
BusinessUS Federal White-Collar Prosecutions Fall to 340 in a Month
Federal white-collar prosecutions dropped 14.4% year-over-year, and I ask what falling oversight means for corporate diligence.
BusinessWhy AI Agent Recommendations Fail: Not Yet One Category
Different tools are all sold as 'AI agents'—compare their autonomy, execution rights, and approval steps before you pick one.
Business