Spread the word about Appleseed AI

A new substack focused on empowering Americans to thrive in the Age of AI.

Feb 16, 2025

This is Appleseed AI. Like Johnny, our goal is fairly simple — share ideas, stories, and proposals so that the positive potential of AI reaches every corner of the country. As of now, AI advances have missed large parts of America. Would-be users of AI as well as would-be AI innovators are being left behind by policies that favor Big Tech and Wall Street over Little Tech and Main Street. Many Americans have a minimal technical understanding of AI. Many more do not have meaningful access to the latest AI tools nor the training required to put those tools to good use.

A survey by the National AI Opinion Monitor exposes that we’ve neglected to spread AI knowledge across the country. As was the case with Web 1.0 (the “read only” Internet of the late 1990s and early 2000s) and 2.0 (the emergence of social media platforms developed in the 2010s), the “Haves” seem poised to benefit most from this new wave of technology. Richer, urban, and more highly educated individuals report having more knowledge and experience with AI. The rest of America—the residents in need of more personalized education, more accessible health care, and more reliable weather reports—are the ones who really stand to benefit AI. Yet, they are precisely the ones being overlooked…again.

Relatedly, innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers regularly find themselves in the proverbial garage—ready to start the next big thing—only to realize that the compute, data, and algorithms they need are fiercely guarded by the biggest corporate players. Plans to make the core components of AI development readily available to the general public and, in particular, small businesses and startups have struggled to get off the ground. By way of example, California was poised to launch “CalCompute” which would have created a public infrastructure for AI innovation only to see Governor Newsom veto the legislation.

Appleseed AI aims to reverse this unacceptable status quo through a three-pronged strategy. First, we’ll share essays, articles, and podcasts that in one way or another align with spreading AI knowledge and resources to Main Street. Second, we’ll post content from LunchGPT—a community of law school faculty, staff, and students that explores the nexus of AI and the Law. Third, we’ll host conversations for this community to generate and rally behind the critical mission of making the Age of AI one of economic security, individual liberty, and communal success.

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Here’s to channeling Johnny.

A digital illustration of Johnny Appleseed in a modern setting, symbolically 'planting' AI knowledge across the country. Johnny is depicted as a traveler with a satchel, scattering glowing digital seeds (representing AI ideas) over a diverse American landscape—rural towns, small businesses, and universities. In the background, large tech skyscrapers loom, while Main Street shops and community centers light up as the seeds take root. The image should blend classic Americana with futuristic AI elements, evoking a sense of innovation and inclusion.