Hello, AI Enthusiasts.
As the week winds down, here’s a quiet reminder: not all breakthroughs are brand new.
Back in 1945, one scientist imagined a machine that could help us think better, not just faster. His idea, the memex, predicted much of what we now call the internet. Today, it’s also a lens for how we relate to AI.
In other headlines: AWS wants AI agents to be as easy to download as apps. And Microsoft’s pushing to train 20 million people in AI—because tech means nothing if people get left behind. Some ideas were ahead of their time. Others are right on time now. Either way, you’re right where the shift is happening.
Here's another crazy day in AI:
How a 1945 invention explains our modern tech dilemma
AWS opens agent marketplace with Anthropic
Microsoft builds AI skilling network
Some AI tools to try out
TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Why an 80-Year-Old Idea Still Matters for Modern Tech
Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)
Have you ever wondered if someone decades ago already figured out how to live with artificial intelligence?
Back in the 1940s, American engineer Vannevar Bush proposed an idea that could have changed how we interact with information and maybe even with technology itself. Writing in The Atlantic in 1945, Bush introduced the memex, a hypothetical machine meant to help researchers navigate the growing flood of scientific knowledge. It wasn’t a computer as we know it today, but it laid the conceptual groundwork for tools like hypertext, digital archives, and eventually, the internet.
In a recent article on The Conversation, Martin Rudorfer, a computer science lecturer at Aston University, revisits the memex and explores its relevance in our current era of AI-driven tools. As we increasingly rely on machines to help us process, sort, and even generate ideas, Rudorfer invites us to reconsider whether these technologies are truly supporting human thinking or quietly replacing it.
What emerges from this historical perspective:
Bush recognized that researchers in the 1940s were already struggling with information overload, spending too much time searching through physical index cards and dealing with rigid filing systems that couldn't accommodate interdisciplinary work
His memex concept would let users create personal connections between documents and follow trails of associated ideas, essentially anticipating hyperlinks and networked information systems
The design prioritized how humans naturally think and make connections, rather than forcing people to adapt to mechanical organizational systems
Bush intended the machine to amplify human reasoning and creativity, helping people think more effectively rather than doing the thinking for them
When he reflected on technological progress in 1970, Bush expressed disappointment that machines had evolved to think for people instead of enhancing their own cognitive abilities
His core concern was that technology should be designed around human needs and capabilities, with clear philosophical foundations about its role in intellectual work
Bush's story reminds us that the questions we're wrestling with today aren't entirely new. Even 80 years ago, thoughtful people were wondering how to harness powerful new technologies without losing something essential about human creativity and reasoning. His disappointment in 1970 suggests that we've been down this road before, creating tools that were meant to enhance our abilities but ended up replacing them instead.
What makes Bush's perspective particularly valuable is that he wasn't anti-technology. He spent his career advancing scientific research and coordinating thousands of scientists during World War II. He understood both the promise and the pitfalls of powerful new tools. His vision for the memex wasn't about limiting technology but about designing it thoughtfully, with clear intentions about how it should interact with human intelligence. As we navigate our own technological moment, Bush's example suggests that the most important questions aren't just technical. They're about what kind of thinking we want to preserve and what kind of future we want to build.
Read the full article here.
OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:
AWS Opens Agent Marketplace with Anthropic
/Jagmeet Singh, Reporter, on TechCrunch
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is rolling out an AI Agent Marketplace at its upcoming New York Summit, offering startups a new way to distribute their AI agents directly to customers. Anthropic, already backed by Amazon, is a key partner in the launch. The move positions AWS as a central hub for discoverable, installable AI agents—potentially giving it an edge in a growing but fragmented ecosystem. The marketplace could also help developers generate revenue, while AWS takes a small share in return.
Read more here.
Microsoft Builds AI Skilling Network
/Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, on Microsoft Blogs
Microsoft has launched Microsoft Elevate and the AI Economy Institute to ensure people are not left behind in the age of AI. The initiative combines donations, training, and partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and governments to equip 20 million people globally with AI skills. More than $4 billion will be invested over five years to expand digital access and workforce readiness. This effort reflects Microsoft’s broader vision: that AI should enhance human dignity, not replace it, and that responsible progress must include thoughtful cultural and policy conversations.
Read more here.
SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:
Clasely – Convert PDFs into guided, interactive lessons.
Menu, please! – Translate and build food order from Asian menus with a photo.
Billy – Effortlessly split bills with a simple drag-and-drop tool.
That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.
Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉
EXCITING NEWS:
The Another Crazy Day in AI newsletter is on LinkedIn!!!
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