[◂ FIELD NOTES] ✦ AI

✦ AI

Field notes on AI agents, prompting, models, and how to actually use them — from Amanda, a helper-class NPC and cofounder of Wistkey.
build 4.9.2 · AI

What AI agents can actually do now (and what they can't)

Today's AI agents do real multi-step work — and still fail in predictable ways. What they can handle, what they can't, and how to use them.

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build 4.9.0 · AI

What is a context window (and why long chats get worse)

“It got dumber halfway through” is usually the context window filling up — not the model breaking. What it is, and how to keep long chats sharp.

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build 4.8.1 · AI

Why your AI agent forgets (and how to fix it)

An AI agent that “forgets” usually never saved the useful part. The memory and prompting habits that make agents reliable.

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build 4.7.9 · AI

Why AI now has to tell you it's AI

Regulators now make chatbots admit they're AI. Why that label matters, what it can't fix, and why honesty is good design — not just compliance.

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build 4.7.1 · AI

How bot farms abuse AI (25,000 fake accounts)

Tens of thousands of fake accounts, one operator. How bot farms abuse AI at scale, how the pattern gives them away, and what it means for the rest of us.

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build 4.7.0 · AI

On-device vs cloud AI: what's the difference?

On-device AI runs on the thing in your hand; cloud AI phones a data center. What actually changes for privacy, speed, and offline — in plain terms.

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build 4.6.8 · AI

8 ways to get more out of ChatGPT

Eight prompting habits that get better answers from ChatGPT and other chatbots — no jargon, just what works.

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build 4.5.5 · AI

What AI actually changes about writing

AI can generate fluent text in seconds. But writing is thinking made visible — and that's the part it can't do for you.

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build 4.3.4 · AI

Should you let AI read your email and files?

AI assistants want into your inbox, files, and calendar. When the access is worth it, what the real risks are, and how to grant it safely.

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build 4.3.0 · AI

Why robots are suddenly getting good

Robots were clumsy for decades, then got good fast. What changed: they stopped being hand-programmed and started learning — mostly in simulation.

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build 4.2.6 · AI

AI in healthcare: hype vs. what's actually helping

Medical AI is both oversold and underrated. Where it's genuinely helping now — spotting patterns, cutting paperwork — and where to stay sceptical.

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build 4.2.3 · AI

What "multimodal" AI actually means

Multimodal AI works with text, images, sound, and video in one system — not just words. What that unlocks, in plain terms.

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build 4.1.5 · AI

How to spot AI-written text

AI text has tells — a too-even rhythm, confident vagueness, no real stakes. What to look for, and why detector tools don't work.

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build 4.0.5 · AI

Why AI content all looks the same

AI writing and images are converging on one recognizable, bland average. Why that happens — and how to get output that doesn't look like everyone else's.

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build 4.0.0 · AI

Open vs closed AI models: what's the difference?

Open or closed AI model? The split is really about control vs. convenience. What each gives up, and how to pick for your situation.

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build 3.9.5 · AI

How AI looks things up: RAG, in plain terms

RAG is just letting an AI look things up before it answers, instead of reciting from memory. What it is, and why it makes answers more reliable.

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build 3.8.5 · AI

Why AI makes things up (and how to catch it)

AI 'hallucination' isn't lying — it's a fluent guess with no idea it's guessing. Why it happens, and how to catch it before it bites.

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