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

Subscribe free → Browse issues ↓

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.

Open on Substack ↗
  1. Issue

    AI’s Ticking Clock: Just 13% of Companies Say They’re Ready for AI; Most Fear an 18-Month Deadline to Act

    The AI Scramble At the speed at which artificial intelligence is moving today, companies believe time is running out to take advantage of its capabilities. There’s one problem: They need more time to prepare for AI. In its second annual AI Readiness Index, Cisco finds a gap between the urgency organizations feel and how ready […]
  2. Issue

    Ai2: The AI House That Paul Allen Built

    When it comes to artificial intelligence, giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, and Amazon often dominate the spotlight, leaving little room for other key players. Yet, one company has been quietly researching AI for over a decade, is based outside Silicon Valley, and is helping lead the charge for the technology’s openness. Called Ai2, this […]
  3. Issue

    AI Agents Are Coming for Your Computers

    AI agents are no longer just passive tools—they’re becoming active decision-makers on our desktops. From automating workflows to managing tasks, these digital companions are stepping into roles once reserved for human operators. These bots are growing in sophistication and could soon take greater control of our computers, reshaping how we interact with technology. It’ll raise […]
  4. Issue

    How Companies Are Unlocking AI’s Value Beyond the Hype

    IN THIS ISSUE: Learn how companies are cutting through AI hype to build effective, winning strategies with the technology. Plus, OpenAI’s AI-powered search is now available to the public, marking a pivotal moment: Is this the end of traditional search as we know it? Will Google’s crown be at risk? Finally, don’t forget about this […]
  5. Issue

    Salesforce’s Agentforce Goes Live, Turning Up the Heat in the AI Agent Fight With Microsoft

    Get ready for a proliferation of autonomous agents. Salesforce’s Agentforce platform is now generally available, publicly launching more than a month after its introduction. With it, the company is ushering in the democratization of sophisticated AI bots, providing a solution in which anyone can quickly develop AI agents that connect with their enterprise data and […]
  6. Issue

    Celebrities and Artists Slam AI Training, Calling It a ‘Major Threat’ to Livelihoods

    IN THIS ISSUE: Those in the arts, media, and entertainment industries are among the more vocal regarding AI, behaving as doomsayers and calling for more protection for their work. Plus, iPhone users will finally get AI on their devices when the first set of Apple Intelligence features are released next week; OpenAI may soon release […]
  7. Issue

    Why Zendesk Thinks AI Is Key to Restoring ‘Humanity’ to Dreaded Customer Service Calls

    This week, we’re exploring AI agents, an emerging topic that will dominate company discussions in the coming months as they reshape business interactions, both between organizations and consumers. I just returned from New York City, where I attended Zendesk’s inaugural AI Summit as a company guest. It seems like AI summits are everywhere these days; […]
  8. Issue

    Strategic Leadership in the Age of Generative AI: A Guide for Long-Term Success

    Can a new book finally help executives grasp the full potential of AI? In this issue of “The AI Economy,” we look at “Winning with Generational AI” and chat with one of its authors, Charlene Li, to understand if this 90-day blueprint can offer highly sought-after clarity. You have probably heard about NotebookLM, but what […]
  9. Issue

    Salesforce Gives the Gift of Free AI Trailhead Courses Through 2025

    This is my final dispatch from Dreamforce 2024. The conference did live up to the hype Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff promised: We’d all be talking about artificial intelligence. For this issue of “The AI Economy,” read about how Salesforce is preparing non-technical workers to adapt to this third wave of AI. Although Agentforce requires […]
  10. Issue

    How California is Trying to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

    Believe it or not, this “The AI Economy” issue is not about Salesforce. Instead, we’ll look at how California lawmakers are trying to legislate AI and if there’s been any progress. Plus, the week’s roundup of AI news you may have missed. The Prompt If there’s something most people will agree on, it is that […]

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?

    No fixed schedule—just coverage when something worth your attention happens. Plus, there's a Friday news roundup that's published exclusively 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?

    Most AI newsletters cover product announcements and funding rounds. The AI Economy focuses on the downstream effects: 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

The AI Economy

AI Moves Fast. I Separate Signal From Spin.

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

Join 3,000+ readers gaining practical wisdom.

No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Read on Substack ↗ Browse all issues ↓