A newsletter by Ken Yeung

The AI
Economy

A sharp, curated look at the stories that reveal how AI is rewriting business, work, technology, and culture.

Ken Yeung

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What you get

Built for people who work with AI, not just read about it.

Reported, not aggregated

Enterprise AI coverage from a journalist who covered the space before “generative AI” was a mainstream phrase. Sourced, contextual, with a point of view.

Platform strategy focus

Beyond the product announcements. Analysis of how AI is restructuring enterprise workflows, editorial operations, and the economics of content at scale.

Written for practitioners

Not for the hype-chasers. For the people who have to act on it.

Archive

Every issue.

All issues published to date. New issues arrive every week.

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  1. Issue

    Microsoft Brings Grok 3, Local AI, and Multi-Agent Tools to Azure AI Foundry

    Microsoft’s platform for building and deploying AI apps and agents is getting an update. Announced at this year’s Build conference, Azure AI Foundry (née Azure AI Studio) has new tools to simplify agent development, automate model selection, enhance monitoring, and support on-device AI. It’s all aimed at helping companies scale their generative AI solutions with […]
  2. Issue

    Microsoft Introduces Entra Agent ID to Bring Zero Trust to AI Agents

    Microsoft says we’re entering an era where humans work alongside AI agents. It’s the rise of what it calls Frontier Firms—businesses that summon bots on demand to support knowledge workers in what Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer for AI at Work, Jared Spataro, describes as the “elastic workforce.” However, keeping track of the agents may prove […]
  3. Issue

    Microsoft Edge Lets Developers Add AI to Web Apps Without the Cloud

    Microsoft is upgrading its Edge browser with new AI capabilities. At this year’s Build conference, the company unveiled a set of AI APIs allowing developers to seamlessly integrate AI features into their web apps, powered by models built directly into the browser. This experimental API set includes methods for prompting and generating content. These are […]
  4. Issue

    AI Agents Are Coming to Windows—Here’s How Microsoft Is Making It Happen

    Human-agent collaboration is moving beyond the cloud. It’s coming to the edge. At its 2025 Build conference, Microsoft unveiled the Windows AI Foundry, a development platform that will bring model building, fine-tuning, and local deployment capabilities to Windows 11. The company also announced native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a framework that allows […]
  5. Issue

    Why ServiceNow Named Its Lightweight AI Models ‘Apriel’

    When ServiceNow first released its Apriel family of small language models, I was curious about the origin of the name. I initially guessed it might be a twist on the word “April,” perhaps rooted in the Latin word aperire, meaning “to open.” But the company didn’t offer an official explanation at the time. So at […]
  6. Issue

    Balancing Act: Klarna, AI, and the Future of Work

    IN THIS ISSUE: Klarna’s bold AI experiment—cutting headcount and leaning heavily on AI—offers a cautionary tale for companies racing to automate. But does this course correction signal trouble for the AI-first future, or simply reflect growing pains on the road to transformation? Plus, why are tech companies eager to help Saudi Arabia build an AI […]
  7. Issue

    Salesforce Acquires AI Automation Startup Convergence to Bolster Its Agentforce Platform

    Salesforce has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Convergence.ai, a startup building AI automation software. The deal terms were not disclosed, but Salesforce stated that the Convergence “team and technology” would help enhance its Agentforce platform. “The next wave of customer interaction and employee productivity will be driven by highly […]
  8. Issue

    You.com Launches ARI Enterprise, an AI Research Agent for Financial Analysts and Consultants

    In February, the enterprise AI platform You.com introduced its Advanced Research and Insights (ARI) agent, designed to perform deep research and act as a personal AI consultant. Now, just three months later, the company is rolling out ARI Enterprise, a new version designed specifically for consultants, financial analysts, and researchers. And according to You.com, it […]
  9. Issue

    New Open-Source Tool Checks How Well AI Models Code for Accessibility

    Is the AI model powering your favorite vibecoding app actually usable by everyone, or just a privileged few? A new open-source offering from the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Foundation and ServiceNow aims to help developers assess how effectively coding-focused large language models (LLMs) generate accessible code. Called the AI Model Accessibility Checker (AIMAC), it […]
  10. Issue

    Twilio Plugs Into Microsoft to Deliver the ‘Last Mile’ of Enterprise AI Conversations

    Twilio and Microsoft have entered into a multi-year partnership to accelerate the use of conversational AI in enterprise customer communication. Announced at Twilio’s SIGNAL conference, the tie-up will let developers build AI-powered tools and applications on top of Twilio’s newly refreshed customer engagement platform and Microsoft’s Azure AI Foundry. In addition, Twilio introduced a range […]

Peer review

What the AIs say.*

We asked the leading AI tools to weigh in on The AI Economy. Their ratings speak for themselves. (Results may vary depending on training data and general disposition toward newsletters.)

Claude — Anthropic

★★★★★

5.0

out of 5

“[Its] strength lies in its ability to cover both technical developments and business implications of AI, making it valuable for a wide audience ranging from tech enthusiasts to business executives.”

ChatGPT — OpenAI

★★★★★

5.0

out of 5

“Expertly combines in-depth interviews and industry analysis, making it a must-read for AI enthusiasts and professionals.”

Gemini — Google

★★★★★

5.0

out of 5

“Provides valuable insights and analysis, making it a great resource for anyone interested in AI.”

Copilot — Microsoft

★★★★★

5.0

out of 5

“A sharp, reporter‑caliber intelligence brief for the AI era—fast, authoritative, and genuinely ahead of the curve.”

* Disclaimer: My newsletter has not been actually endorsed by OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic. I solicited reviews from their respective gen AI services. Sounded cool though, huh?

Questions

Common questions.

  1. What is The AI Economy?

    A newsletter covering consumer and enterprise AI, platform strategy, and the companies reshaping how work gets done. Reported, not aggregated — written by a technology journalist who has covered the space since before generative AI was a mainstream phrase.

  2. How often does it publish?

    Enough to keep you ahead, never enough to clutter your inbox. You'll also get first-look coverage and original interviews whenever the story is worth your time—which, lately, is often. Nothing filler-grade goes out under this masthead. A weekly roundup is delivered Fridays on LinkedIn.

  3. Is it free?

    Yes. Every issue is free. Subscribe on Substack and it arrives in your inbox. No paywall, no premium tier. If that changes, subscribers will be notified well in advance.

  4. How is this different from other AI newsletters?

    The AI Economy explores the people building AI and the reasons behind what they build. I'm interested in how enterprise teams are actually deploying AI, where the editorial and operational models are breaking down, and what platform-level shifts mean for practitioners making decisions this quarter. It is written for people doing the work, not watching it from the outside. My goal is to not focus just on what's being announced, but why it exists and why we should care. The stories are what you'd expect to read on Inc. and First Round Review or see on "60 Minutes."

  5. Can we pitch you stories?

    Yes, I do accept embargoed news and exclusives. Please reach out with your announcements, launches, and story ideas—email me or use this form. I also accept tips securely via Signal at @kenyeung.888.

  6. Where can I read past issues?

    The full archive is listed above on this page. All issues are also available on Substack. The plan is to host the canonical archive here on thelettertwo.com as the publication grows — independent of any platform.

  7. Can I republish or cite content from the newsletter?

    Yes, with attribution. Short excerpts with a link back to the original issue are fine. For longer republication or syndication, reach out via LinkedIn.

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