Archive
The complete INLEVEL9 archive of analysis across technology, economics, and the humanities.
2026
Why Companies Are Quietly Choosing Chinese AI Models
Airbnb's Brian Chesky praised Qwen's speed and cost, and open-weight models are reshaping how developers weigh adoption.
AI & TechDoes Big R&D Spending Actually Attract Top Talent?
Korea ranks near the top in R&D spending but 31st in global talent competitiveness, raising questions about what conditions actually draw researchers.
AI & TechEU Preliminarily Rules TikTok's Endless Scroll Violates DSA
EU's preliminary finding on TikTok tackles addictive design and risk mitigation, seen through a data expert's lens on user control and AI personalization.
AI & TechHow x402 Lets AI Agents Pay for APIs Automatically
Coinbase's x402 protocol turns HTTP's 402 status into a machine-readable price tag for autonomous payments.
AI & TechBuying Chips Isn't the Same as Running a Data Center
Nvidia, AMD, and Google's latest moves show that chips, power, and data centers all have to scale together.
AI & TechKorea's Top 10 Groups Plan 51,600 Hires—But Where?
Behind Korea's big hiring numbers, most students I meet still picture a Seoul headquarters, not a regional factory floor.
SocietyOrwell and the Jargon That Passes for Explanation
Rereading Orwell, I revisit the AI jargon in my own consulting work and ask whether specific language actually drives execution.
SocietyBefore the Monetization Course, Ask Why Customers Pay
Lessons from helping foreign firms enter Korea's market: real business design beats side-hustle income claims and lecture counts.
BusinessWhat the Pentagon Pizza Theory Data Actually Measures
Before treating pizza-shop foot traffic as a war signal, I checked what the data really tracks and how the comparisons hold up.
SocietyIf Brainwaves Train Robots, What Do Experts Deserve?
I look at how EEG-based robot training actually works, and why expert consent and compensation must be settled before deployment.
AI & TechThe Reverse Test: What a Strategy Doc Must Rule Out
Using Jason Cohen's inversion test and Roger Martin's five questions, I look at what a strategy document should force you to give up.
BusinessRice Farming and Collectivism: Three Studies, One Critique
I trace how studies on Chinese students, cafe patrons, and state farms test whether rice farming really shapes collectivist thinking.
BusinessCheaper AI Video Doesn't Mean Cheaper Production
Veo 3's price cuts and Seedance 2.0 show that lower generation fees don't erase the planning, editing, and consent work still required.
BusinessDoes a Doctor Next Door Shape a Child's Career?
Linked 1910 and 1940 US census records suggest neighbors' jobs matter—but the '41% higher' finding needs careful reading.
BusinessAdult ADHD Diagnoses Rose 4.85x—What the Number Means
Korea's adult ADHD treatment numbers jumped 4.85x—but that's not the same as a rise in prevalence.
BusinessAI Skills Aren't Enough Without Good Taste
People keep asking me what to do in the AI era, and I keep coming back to judgment, not just tool skills.
SocietyAI Made Tasks Faster. So Why Am I Still Working Late?
AI can save time on one task while quietly adding new work elsewhere—here's what the Jevons paradox and recent studies suggest you track.
BusinessChina Now Grants PhDs for Bridges and Welding, Not Papers
China now lets bridge and welding engineers submit their work, not a thesis, for a PhD—here's what that reveals about proving expertise.
SocietyKnowing Jensen Huang's Habits Won't Make You Jensen Huang
Judging founders and building GTM strategy: same effort, different results—learning a success story isn't the same as living it.
SocietyAmazon's 1 Million Robots: What Actually Changes at Work
Robot counts and hourly costs alone don't explain the shift in hiring—Amazon's automation and Digit's warehouse rollout show why.
AI & Tech