Aaron Miller
@aaronmiller.info
Professor in BYU's George Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics, teaching public service/social impact students.
Multipassionate and easily distracted (currently distracted by AI).
https://aaronmiller.info
https://how-to-help.com
Multipassionate and easily distracted (currently distracted by AI).
https://aaronmiller.info
https://how-to-help.com
The cost of cynicism isn't optimism. What cynics lose is the ability to be curious.
www.aaronmiller.info/on-the-cost-...
www.aaronmiller.info/on-the-cost-...
On the cost of cynicism
It’s natural to think of cynicism compared to optimism, like we do with other opposites: dark and light, sorrow and joy, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. (Monday night was rough for us Broncos fans.) Anyway, I mention opposites-thinking because it implies that the cost of
www.aaronmiller.info
September 17, 2026 at 2:20 PM
The cost of cynicism isn't optimism. What cynics lose is the ability to be curious.
www.aaronmiller.info/on-the-cost-...
www.aaronmiller.info/on-the-cost-...
Reposted by Aaron Miller
Wait until Sisyphus finds out about emails.
July 17, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Wait until Sisyphus finds out about emails.
When a rule is universally broken, the problem might be the rule. Some thoughts about the cheating scandal at Brown, Utah speed limits, and how professors share the burden when it comes to students and AI. #ai #education
www.aaronmiller.info/normal-cheat...
www.aaronmiller.info/normal-cheat...
Normal Cheating
My home state, Utah, is packed with law-breakers, scofflaws. They do it with impunity, on a daily basis. To make matters worse, law enforcement is complicit.
It’s illegal to drive faster than the speed limit. Utah takes this very seriously; the penalty is not trivial. Anywhere from just
www.aaronmiller.info
July 15, 2026 at 5:02 PM
When a rule is universally broken, the problem might be the rule. Some thoughts about the cheating scandal at Brown, Utah speed limits, and how professors share the burden when it comes to students and AI. #ai #education
www.aaronmiller.info/normal-cheat...
www.aaronmiller.info/normal-cheat...
There’s a fascinating story in my family history where two lines crossed once, then not again for a hundred years. It begins on a ship called the John M. Wood in Liverpool, set out for New Orleans.
But really it's the story about how I became an American.
www.aaronmiller.info/birthright/
But really it's the story about how I became an American.
www.aaronmiller.info/birthright/
July 3, 2026 at 2:17 PM
There’s a fascinating story in my family history where two lines crossed once, then not again for a hundred years. It begins on a ship called the John M. Wood in Liverpool, set out for New Orleans.
But really it's the story about how I became an American.
www.aaronmiller.info/birthright/
But really it's the story about how I became an American.
www.aaronmiller.info/birthright/
Had the thought to write about common misconceptions about AI. You or someone you know may find this helpful to understand why LLMs:
- Are more like people than computers
- Don't remember
- Don't learn
- Don't drink all the water
- Do more than you realize
www.aaronmiller.info/some-common-...
- Are more like people than computers
- Don't remember
- Don't learn
- Don't drink all the water
- Do more than you realize
www.aaronmiller.info/some-common-...
Some common misconceptions about LLMs
I was talking to my mother-in-law this week about how she downloaded ChatGPT to her phone two weeks ago. It’s her first experience with an LLM. We talked about all the ways she’s started using it, but also the common things that people misunderstand about how
www.aaronmiller.info
June 23, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Had the thought to write about common misconceptions about AI. You or someone you know may find this helpful to understand why LLMs:
- Are more like people than computers
- Don't remember
- Don't learn
- Don't drink all the water
- Do more than you realize
www.aaronmiller.info/some-common-...
- Are more like people than computers
- Don't remember
- Don't learn
- Don't drink all the water
- Do more than you realize
www.aaronmiller.info/some-common-...
I'd looked forward to more time with Fable today, but alas the government had other plans.
Maybe the answer is something like a Federal Reserve, but for AI. Not a perfect analogy, but political independence, clear measures, and actual expertise would be nice.
www.aaronmiller.info/a-fed-but-fo...
Maybe the answer is something like a Federal Reserve, but for AI. Not a perfect analogy, but political independence, clear measures, and actual expertise would be nice.
www.aaronmiller.info/a-fed-but-fo...
A Fed, but for AI
I'd looked forward to spending more time with Anthropic's Fable model today, but alas the government had other plans. As usual, Zvi has the most thoughtful, thorough commentary on things.
I am however taking the position that the implementation method chosen by the government, with no warning, was
www.aaronmiller.info
June 14, 2026 at 1:10 AM
I'd looked forward to more time with Fable today, but alas the government had other plans.
Maybe the answer is something like a Federal Reserve, but for AI. Not a perfect analogy, but political independence, clear measures, and actual expertise would be nice.
www.aaronmiller.info/a-fed-but-fo...
Maybe the answer is something like a Federal Reserve, but for AI. Not a perfect analogy, but political independence, clear measures, and actual expertise would be nice.
www.aaronmiller.info/a-fed-but-fo...
We sang the perfect hymn in my Latter-day Saint congregation today. Bravo to our music director.
June 7, 2026 at 9:55 PM
We sang the perfect hymn in my Latter-day Saint congregation today. Bravo to our music director.
"The average of all human language" is not the AI criticism you think it is, because human language is arguably our best invention ever.
Whether you're a lover or a hater of Large Language Models, I think it's worth reflecting on what makes them powerful. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/humanitys-be...
Whether you're a lover or a hater of Large Language Models, I think it's worth reflecting on what makes them powerful. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/humanitys-be...
Humanity’s Best Invention
Language itself is why LLMs are a big deal
www.aaronmiller.info
April 14, 2026 at 7:09 PM
"The average of all human language" is not the AI criticism you think it is, because human language is arguably our best invention ever.
Whether you're a lover or a hater of Large Language Models, I think it's worth reflecting on what makes them powerful. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/humanitys-be...
Whether you're a lover or a hater of Large Language Models, I think it's worth reflecting on what makes them powerful. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/humanitys-be...
In class last month we discussed how non-directed kidney donations (i.e. to a stranger) can trigger up to a dozen transplants.
Today a student told me she (and her mom!) are doing non-directed liver donations this summer. She'll do a kidney next if it goes well!
These kids are going to be alright.
Today a student told me she (and her mom!) are doing non-directed liver donations this summer. She'll do a kidney next if it goes well!
These kids are going to be alright.
March 11, 2026 at 11:43 PM
In class last month we discussed how non-directed kidney donations (i.e. to a stranger) can trigger up to a dozen transplants.
Today a student told me she (and her mom!) are doing non-directed liver donations this summer. She'll do a kidney next if it goes well!
These kids are going to be alright.
Today a student told me she (and her mom!) are doing non-directed liver donations this summer. She'll do a kidney next if it goes well!
These kids are going to be alright.
What if we teach students how to use AI critically (instead of teaching them not to use it)?
www.aaronmiller.info/what-if-we-t...
www.aaronmiller.info/what-if-we-t...
What if we teach students how to use AI critically (instead of teaching them not to use it)?
I don't see our choice as "AI or no AI" any more than past generations could halt the spread of the printing press — that widely decried threat to scholarship. Children born today will never know a world without AI. The majority of U.S. teens already use AI chatbots, and
www.aaronmiller.info
March 9, 2026 at 10:05 PM
What if we teach students how to use AI critically (instead of teaching them not to use it)?
www.aaronmiller.info/what-if-we-t...
www.aaronmiller.info/what-if-we-t...
The Age of Living Software: What if software doesn't have to be take-it-or-leave-it?
www.aaronmiller.info/the-age-of-l...
www.aaronmiller.info/the-age-of-l...
The Age of Living Software
What if software doesn't have to be take-it-or-leave-it?
www.aaronmiller.info
March 9, 2026 at 4:51 PM
The Age of Living Software: What if software doesn't have to be take-it-or-leave-it?
www.aaronmiller.info/the-age-of-l...
www.aaronmiller.info/the-age-of-l...
Just taking a moment to say what ought to be said.
Anthropic doesn’t have to work for anyone, including the government
I’ve seen enough takes on the Anthropic/DoD conflict since it all went down last week, and I’m surprised at how often this important principle is being left out of the conversation:
There are many fr...
www.aaronmiller.info
March 3, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Just taking a moment to say what ought to be said.
Reposted by Aaron Miller
If we mapped current #AI companies to consumer tech from the 2010s:
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
February 4, 2026 at 5:59 AM
If we mapped current #AI companies to consumer tech from the 2010s:
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
If we mapped current #AI companies to consumer tech from the 2010s:
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
February 4, 2026 at 5:59 AM
If we mapped current #AI companies to consumer tech from the 2010s:
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
Anthropic = Apple. Focused on high quality for a smaller market. Stubborn and opinionated in annoying ways, but innovating in important ones. Sets trends. Genuine in its principles, whether or not you agree with them.
1/x
I'm not sure how to process the irony of #Moltbook, a social network for AI agents, getting spammed by *human beings* there to promote their crypto and SaaS nonsense.
The idea of Moltbook is funny/cursed, but I think most of the viral stuff is fake. It was almost certainly made by people.
The idea of Moltbook is funny/cursed, but I think most of the viral stuff is fake. It was almost certainly made by people.
January 31, 2026 at 6:57 PM
I'm not sure how to process the irony of #Moltbook, a social network for AI agents, getting spammed by *human beings* there to promote their crypto and SaaS nonsense.
The idea of Moltbook is funny/cursed, but I think most of the viral stuff is fake. It was almost certainly made by people.
The idea of Moltbook is funny/cursed, but I think most of the viral stuff is fake. It was almost certainly made by people.
Just here to say I hit inbox zero. Such an amazing, if fleeting, feeling.
January 20, 2026 at 4:43 AM
Just here to say I hit inbox zero. Such an amazing, if fleeting, feeling.
Politically, academics are much more liberal than the average person. But Paul Bloom makes the excellent point that, in areas related to their work, academics are actually deeply conservative.
www.aaronmiller.info/professors-a...
www.aaronmiller.info/professors-a...
Professors Are Conservative, Actually
Politically, academics are much more liberal than the average person. But Paul Bloom makes the excellent point that, in areas related to their work, academics are actually deeply conservative.
Asking a prof about AI is like asking a taxi driver to weigh in on Uber. I think I have good
www.aaronmiller.info
January 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Politically, academics are much more liberal than the average person. But Paul Bloom makes the excellent point that, in areas related to their work, academics are actually deeply conservative.
www.aaronmiller.info/professors-a...
www.aaronmiller.info/professors-a...
What it was like when an economist spent the year doing AI-driven research.
The reality is still that creativity and nuanced judgment of what constitutes a good research are still missing in AI. What 2026 will bring is less certain, in my opinion.
www.aaronmiller.info/joshua-gans-...
The reality is still that creativity and nuanced judgment of what constitutes a good research are still missing in AI. What 2026 will bring is less certain, in my opinion.
www.aaronmiller.info/joshua-gans-...
Joshua Gans on Vibe Researching
From an economist, about his extensive experiments with AI-driven academic research. I don’t have much of a research background, but his experiences seem right where expected.
My point is that the experiment — can we do research at high speed without much human input — was a failure. And it wasn’
www.aaronmiller.info
January 6, 2026 at 7:00 PM
What it was like when an economist spent the year doing AI-driven research.
The reality is still that creativity and nuanced judgment of what constitutes a good research are still missing in AI. What 2026 will bring is less certain, in my opinion.
www.aaronmiller.info/joshua-gans-...
The reality is still that creativity and nuanced judgment of what constitutes a good research are still missing in AI. What 2026 will bring is less certain, in my opinion.
www.aaronmiller.info/joshua-gans-...
Imagine being there as someone is on the verge of bombing a hospital. And you have a chance to talk him down. Absolutely incredible story.
www.aaronmiller.info/an-amazing-s...
www.aaronmiller.info/an-amazing-s...
An amazing story of courage and empathy
This is an incredible moment of courage that happened in 2023. I’d never heard about it until this article. Nathan saved dozens of lives.
Nathan started to think of himself as being in the right place at the right time. His instinct was to get this man and his
www.aaronmiller.info
January 6, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Imagine being there as someone is on the verge of bombing a hospital. And you have a chance to talk him down. Absolutely incredible story.
www.aaronmiller.info/an-amazing-s...
www.aaronmiller.info/an-amazing-s...
I need to get more comfortable shooting people, but I did enjoy trying out a bit of street photography with some friends.
If anyone has advice for getting more comfortable shooting strangers, I'm all ears.
#photography #fujifilm #streetphotography
www.aaronmiller.info/some-provo-s...
If anyone has advice for getting more comfortable shooting strangers, I'm all ears.
#photography #fujifilm #streetphotography
www.aaronmiller.info/some-provo-s...
Some Provo Street Photography
Since my focus has been learning landscape photography, I've never really done any street shooting. Thanks to a kind invitation, I had a chance to head downtown and try my hand at it. (Thanks Daren, Jason, and Justin!)
A bit of a grey day, and I need to get more
www.aaronmiller.info
January 4, 2026 at 4:47 AM
I need to get more comfortable shooting people, but I did enjoy trying out a bit of street photography with some friends.
If anyone has advice for getting more comfortable shooting strangers, I'm all ears.
#photography #fujifilm #streetphotography
www.aaronmiller.info/some-provo-s...
If anyone has advice for getting more comfortable shooting strangers, I'm all ears.
#photography #fujifilm #streetphotography
www.aaronmiller.info/some-provo-s...
This is the year I made landscape photography an official hobby. Here are my ten favorite photos from 2025.
#landscapephotography #landscape #photography #fujifilm
www.aaronmiller.info/my-ten-favor...
#landscapephotography #landscape #photography #fujifilm
www.aaronmiller.info/my-ten-favor...
My Ten Favorite Photos of the Year
This is the year I made landscape photography an official hobby rather than just a thing I enjoyed doing with my iPhone. All of these photos were shot on a Fujifilm X-T5. These aren't in any particular order. It was hard enough just choosing ten!
1. Bryce Canyon
This is
www.aaronmiller.info
December 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
This is the year I made landscape photography an official hobby. Here are my ten favorite photos from 2025.
#landscapephotography #landscape #photography #fujifilm
www.aaronmiller.info/my-ten-favor...
#landscapephotography #landscape #photography #fujifilm
www.aaronmiller.info/my-ten-favor...
December 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Companies that lay off workers to replace with AI either misunderstand how AI agents work or are just low-ambition.
In either case, they'll be beaten by companies who know how people make the difference. I wrote this to explain the idea. I hope it can help. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/low-ambition...
In either case, they'll be beaten by companies who know how people make the difference. I wrote this to explain the idea. I hope it can help. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/low-ambition...
Low-Ambition Companies Will Suffer from AI
Companies laying off workers for AI agents are either misjudging how agents will work or they're just low-ambition companies.
www.aaronmiller.info
December 18, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Companies that lay off workers to replace with AI either misunderstand how AI agents work or are just low-ambition.
In either case, they'll be beaten by companies who know how people make the difference. I wrote this to explain the idea. I hope it can help. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/low-ambition...
In either case, they'll be beaten by companies who know how people make the difference. I wrote this to explain the idea. I hope it can help. #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/low-ambition...
Apropos to my earlier post, it's not just the textbook publishers. Academic journals are also publishing papers with fake AI citations.
www.aaronmiller.info/journals-are...
And props to @andrew.heiss.phd for unlocking the "Rolling Stone on the CV" achievement!
www.aaronmiller.info/journals-are...
And props to @andrew.heiss.phd for unlocking the "Rolling Stone on the CV" achievement!
December 17, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Apropos to my earlier post, it's not just the textbook publishers. Academic journals are also publishing papers with fake AI citations.
www.aaronmiller.info/journals-are...
And props to @andrew.heiss.phd for unlocking the "Rolling Stone on the CV" achievement!
www.aaronmiller.info/journals-are...
And props to @andrew.heiss.phd for unlocking the "Rolling Stone on the CV" achievement!
I don’t think I can adequately stress how bad it is for a big publisher like Springer to screw up something like this. A new textbook of theirs had extensive hallucinated sources.
www.aaronmiller.info/machine-lear...
#ethics #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/machine-lear...
#ethics #ai
Machine learning textbook from major publisher has hallucinated sources
I don’t think I can adequately stress how bad this is for a publisher as big as Springer to screw up this badly. A new textbook of theirs had extensive hallucinated sources.
Based on a tip from a rea...
www.aaronmiller.info
December 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM
I don’t think I can adequately stress how bad it is for a big publisher like Springer to screw up something like this. A new textbook of theirs had extensive hallucinated sources.
www.aaronmiller.info/machine-lear...
#ethics #ai
www.aaronmiller.info/machine-lear...
#ethics #ai