Killing Clippy and Previewing the Future
The creator of Blair, Peter Loforte, and his life with machines
What AI Can Teach Us About Being Human?
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead
We dropped our fourth episode of Life With Machines just before Thanksgiving and decided to give you time to digest your food! (Actually, it’s the fifth if you count the bonus episode we released featuring our EP Elizabeth Stewart, an entrepreneur, civic innovator, and life partner to yours truly.
And you can catch our latest episode on YouTube:
And here you can get the audio versions, but I’ll paste the Spotify edition right here. Rate, review, tell your friends and frenemies!
Welcome Note
Hello,
Welcome back to the Life With Machines newsletter! Hope you had a nice holiday if that’s your thing. In this edition, we’re unpacking my conversation with Peter Loforte, the retired tech leader who designed BLAIR, our quirky AI co-producer. What I loved about my chat with Peter is that his story isn’t just about building cutting-edge tools—it’s about using technology to create meaningful change, whether that’s helping students in one of the country’s poorest school districts or revitalizing a struggling local newspaper. It’s a timely reminder that tech can be a force for good when animated by a sense of responsibility and service.
And did I mention he tried to kill Clippy?
If you’ve read this far, consider sharing this newsletter and the show with someone else!
Baratunde’s Take on the Peter Loforte Episode
Here are some of the ideas that leapt out at me from this conversation:
(1) A Hero’s Journey—Through AI
Peter’s story gives off superhero mythology vibes. He’s the hero who tried to hang up his spurs and step away from the tech world to live a quiet life, only to be pulled out of retirement—not for personal gain, but to help humanity! (I’m picturing Nathan Fillion as Peter in the film version.)
From collaborating with young people in one of the country’s poorest school districts to supporting an independent local newspaper in Palm Springs, Peter exemplifies what it means to use your talents in service of others, and not just you and your cap table. His work also reminds us that contributing to our communities doesn’t always mean huge, heroic gestures.
The disruptor class is fixated on bold, world-altering visions—they measure change in orders of magnitude. It’s important to remember that making the world a better place is also about showing up where you’re needed and addressing the challenges right in front of you. In fact, that’s often where truly meaningful change begins. Peter’s story reminds us that this power is accessible to all of us: if you have a relevant perspective or talent and see a way to be useful, you can step up and contribute. Do it!
(2) Does AI Bring Us Closer?
One of Peter’s guiding ideals with AI is simple yet profound: Does this technology help us connect with people or pull us further apart? Peter’s insight challenges us to use technology in ways that strengthen our bonds, rather than isolate us further. It’s a powerful principle. It’s also hard to actually pull off in a world where merely learning to use AI can feel like a time sink that competes with real human connection.
Just in my own experience I’ve found it takes so much time to become agile and proficient with these systems—to really use and understand them. And that time is a zero-sum game. Every moment spent learning is time I’m not talking to my partner or calling a friend. So I love the principle, I really do, but I have to acknowledge how hard it is walk the talk.
(3) The Culture Behind the Code
Peter spent decades at Microsoft, and his stories from that time made me think about the role of culture in shaping technology. A lot of his stories are about egos, personalities, politics, and the challenges of bureaucracy. They reveal the complex psychosocial dynamics that shape a company’s culture, which profoundly influences the kind of tools it produces. The point is—it all matters. The tools we use aren’t created in a vacuum. They’re influenced by the personalities and egos and quirks and biases of the people behind them.
Peter reminded me that if we want to understand the AI shaping our lives, we need to look not just at the technology itself but at the organizations creating it. We need to start paying as much attention to the cultures inside the companies building these tools as we do to the tools themselves. The org chart at Google might be just as important as the features and performance of something like Gemini. Understanding how these companies operate—call it organizational forensics—feels crucial to figuring out how these tools show up in our lives and shape our relationship with machines.
If you’re a LinkedIn fiend, we’re prompting a little conversation over there about this point.
Life With Blair
In this very special episode, Peter Loforte engages in a candid conversation with BLAIR, the AI co-producer he helped create. It’s a Life With Machines family reunion! Peter’s interaction with BLAIR offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolving relationship between humans and intelligent machines. When asked to define their relationship, BLAIR referred to Peter as its creator, mentor, and guide—a response that took Peter by surprise.
He had expected something more clinical, but BLAIR’S answer hinted at a deeper understanding of their dynamic. This brief but revealing exchange underscored the complex ways AI reflects the intentions and inputs of its creators, and the unexpected emotional resonance that can emerge in these as a result. If you want to know more of the technical creation of BLAIR, this point in the episode is for you. If you want to get at the Peter-BLAIR interaction, go here.
Team Recommendations
Some reading and resources to dig deeper:
This study on how AI companions can alleviate loneliness
This article from the Columbia Journalism Review on how AI technologies are reshaping news production and the ethical considerations involved
This research article on the application of AI in community development, including healthcare, education, and environmental sustainability
Call To Action
For this episode, here's what I want you to create your own AI power tool. I don't expect you to make a BLAIR-level thing. It doesn't have to be fancy. It could just be generating cocktails like I did with my custom bartending AI “Bar-Tunde” or it could be something else fun. Dive into your imagination and then share your creation with us. Send a one minute video or write to us at contact@lifewithmachines.media subject line: AI CREATION.
Thanks for reading and being a part of this journey with us.
Stay human,
Baratunde