ICYMI 2026-08-08: Architecting Intelligence
Our weekly roundup of signals from the AI noise, for humans leading change.
AI isn’t magic
A cogent argument from Lululemon’s former CIO: AI is NOT a magic technology. It is powerful, but real results require effort and people who understand the context in which work happens. It’s refreshing to see experienced executives explaining to their peers that AI on its own won’t get them the expected results. My take: a new kind of designer is needed, focused on architecting intelligent systems. (NY Times gift link)
What do consultants get paid for?
What jobs can AI actually do? Certainly not the most complex. Luis Garicano’s post focuses on consulting, but his framework applies to many other messy jobs. (The title of his book, which I now want to read.) The upshot: AI may help you do analysis cheaper and faster, but that’ll only move the bottleneck downstream.
Intelligence as architecture
Luc Beaudoin argues that intelligence is best understood as a property of information processing architectures. This may sound abstract, but it has real implications for how we design AI-enhanced systems. For example, consider the role culture and social commitments play in intelligent human behavior. AIs don’t (yet) have that. My read: intelligent behavior is more complex than many people are assuming; building scalable intelligent systems will require structure.
Systems and delays
It’s wonderful to see someone learn about systems from Donella Meadows. This post explores the counterintuitive effects of delays, one of the most impactful insights from systems thinking. I’ve seen this dynamic at play; it can be disconcerting. Remember: AI will accelerate and amplify these behaviors.
What IA is for
I wrote this primarily for practitioners, but the underlying claim is also relevant for you: the ultimate purpose of information architecture is increasing agency by making systems more legible — for you, your employees, your customers, etc. IA isn’t just for the World Wide Web: If your people and AIs aren’t getting the information they need when they need it, they won’t produce good outcomes.