The proxy break

AI broke the old proxy (good writing = good thinking) but the new proxy ('sounds like AI' = no thinking) is equally unreliable. A friend's challenge prompted a deeper question: evaluate thinking, not wording. Two tests proposed: Quality (does the argument hold under pressure?) and Ownership (CEO principle). Fine-tuned models now preferred over human writing 62% of the time. What happened this week: * AI cover letters killed the signal: Freelancer.com study shows Goodhart's Law in action, better letters no longer predict better hires * Snap cut 1,000 jobs (16% workforce), AI writes 65% of new code, $500M annualised savings: substitution model has arrived * Passive AI delegation erodes confidence, pushing back strengthens it: 2,000-person study. Gartner: of 5.4hr saved, only 0.6hr reduces working time What to try: * Ask what keeps people awake at night, not how AI can help: surfaces real problems with AI solutions * Let the model research you before writing custom instructions: web search + self-portrait generates better instructions than manual writing * Find where your AI value sits: AI Value Map interactive tool, five questions on value allocation then five on capture Read the full edition with all links and sources: https://steadman.ai/newsletters/david/#edition-2026-04-18