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.

Open on Substack ↗
  1. Issue

    4 Steps to Building Smarter AI Agents

    IN THIS ISSUE: Dive into Salesforce’s new framework for CIOs, offering advice on how their organizations can effectively harness the power of AI agents. Explore the four steps necessary to develop mature, intelligent, effective bots, and discover how companies can align their AI strategies with business goals. Plus, catch up on the latest from Google […]
  2. Issue

    Ai2’s OLMoTrace Tool Reveals the Origins of AI Model Training Data

    Ai2 has launched a tool to help developers answer a critical question: Where do AI models get their data? Called OLMoTrace, it’s an open-source application offering fact-checking of information provided in prompt replies. This data traceability is vital for those interested in governance, regulation, and auditing. This feature is currently available on Ai2’s flagship model, […]
  3. Issue

    Google Pushes Agent Interoperability With New Dev Kit and Agent2Agent Standard

    Google is doubling down on enterprise AI. At Cloud Next 2025, the company unveiled new cloud capabilities designed to help businesses turn AI potential into real-world impact. That includes the arrival of Gemini 2.5 Flash on the Vertex AI developer platform and upgrades to its generative media models. And, as AI agents begin taking on […]
  4. Issue

    Meta Launches Llama 4 Scout and Maverick, Open-Weight Multimodal Models That Outperform GPT-4 and Gemini

    Meta has released the first two models in its new Llama 4 family, which it claims will power “more personalized multimodal experiences.” On Saturday, the company introduced Llama 4 Scout and Maverick, both with 17 billion active parameters. Their debut follows a report that Meta delayed Llama 4’s launch multiple times after failing to meet […]
  5. Issue

    Microsoft’s Copilot Just Got a Brain Boost—And It’s Ready to Work for You

    IN THIS ISSUE: Microsoft supercharges its Copilot assistant with new capabilities to help it become a companion for all. Is it the bot we’ve been waiting for? Plus, the head of open-source AI proponent Ai2 reacts to OpenAI possibly joining the open-source community. The Prompt Microsoft is ushering in a new era for its Copilot […]
  6. Issue

    Google’s NotebookLM Now Helps You Find Web Sources with ‘Discover’

    Google has launched a new feature for NotebookLM, its AI-powered tool for organizing and analyzing information, that automatically curates relevant websites for you. Called “Discover Sources,” it recommends up to ten relevant sources on a specified topic, each accompanied by an annotated summary explanation. Google said this feature is rolling out today for all users, […]
  7. Issue

    Microsoft’s AI Skills Fest Seeks World Record for Most Online AI Learners

    Microsoft has announced that it’s organizing a 50-day AI Skills Fest starting April 8. The goal is to help people advance their technical knowledge regardless of their skill level. The global event features hackathons, live in-person and virtual events, self-paced tutorials, community events, learning challenges, and more—something for everyone’s schedule and preference. Microsoft Wants a […]
  8. Issue

    LinkedIn Acquires Tumult Labs Team to Strengthen AI Agents and Privacy Tech

    LinkedIn has announced the acqui-hire of Tumult Labs, a startup that provides privacy-preserving data analytics for enterprises. The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed, though Tumult Labs says it will sunset “its current form” within the next 90 days. Only a portion of the Tumult Labs team will join LinkedIn—not the entire company or its technology. LinkedIn’s […]
  9. Issue

    Trevor Noah on AI: Embrace Curiosity Over Fear

    IN THIS ISSUE: Celebrity Trevor Noah appeared at Zendesk’s Relate conference this week, sharing his perspective on technology with his comedic perspective. He urges us not to surrender to our fear and instead embrace curiosity. Here’s what the host of the “What Now? With Trevor Noah” podcast said. Plus, why are AI-generated images in the […]
  10. Issue

    Microsoft Adds Deep Reasoning to Copilot Studio and Launches Reasoning Agents for M365

    Microsoft is introducing a new way for developers to create smarter Copilots. The company announced it is adding deep reasoning capabilities to Copilot Studio, the platform designed to help enterprise customers build custom bots tailored to their specific workflows. This update, available today, also includes the addition of agent flows. “These features represent the latest […]

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.

The AI Economy

AI Moves Fast. I Separate Signal From Spin.

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