Issue 25 — 2026-06-06

Apple has approved its first AI agent for Messages: a tool called Business Chat that helps small businesses manage customer conversations.\n\nWhy this matters: Messages is one of the most-used chat tools in Brown communities — over a billion users worldwide — and this approval opens the door for more AI-powered tools in the platform. The first version of Business Chat lets businesses handle multiple customer conversations at once, reducing the need for human agents.\n\nWhy this matters for us: This is a win for small businesses — they'll now have access to tools that previously cost thousands of dollars to develop internally.

Most SaaS companies charge by the user — $10/month per seat. This works for enterprise clients, but for small businesses and Latinx founders, it’s failing. Why? Small businesses care about results, not just having a tool.

Outcome-based pricing changes this. Instead of charging per user, you charge per outcome — $500 for a 20% churn reduction, $1,000 for a 10% revenue lift. This is how enterprise software is sold — now it’s coming to the SMB market.

Why this matters for us: Outcome-based pricing moves from transactional to relational — it’s about results, not just seats.

Cloudflare has acquired VoidZero, an AI-powered tool that eliminates redundant cloud services — no more wasted money on unused servers.\n\nWhy this matters: VoidZero's AI-driven audits save companies 50% on cloud costs — and that's money Brown engineers can use to build something real instead of paying for servers that nobody uses.\n\nWhy this matters for us: AI is finally doing something useful — not just talking about itself. Brown engineers will love this tool.

Back in the early days of the web, Google dominated search with its PageRank algorithm, rewarding sites with high-quality backlinks. Developers optimized for Google, not users, creating a winner-take-all system where a few sites dominated search results.\n\nToday, AI-powered tools like ChatGPT are creating a similar shift. Content creators are optimizing for AI readability, not human readers. AI tools are becoming the gatekeepers of online visibility, just like Google was in the 2000s.\n\nWhy this matters for us: AI will consolidate power in the hands of the few, just like Google did for websites.

The U.S. government is rolling out a new AI-powered green card application process. Instead of submitting paper files, applicants now provide basic information online and the AI automatically fetches data from public records.\n\nWhy this matters for us: This AI system will save Brown families thousands of dollars in application fees and months of processing time — but it also means there's no human oversight for errors. 'La migra app' could make or break your family's future.

AI is getting smarter — but it's still too slow and expensive for the average coder.\n\nLocal LLMs (Language Learning Models) are changing that. Instead of using big-name global LLMs like GPT-4, local LLMs run on your device — faster, cheaper, and more reliable.\n\nWhy this matters for us: Local LLMs put power in our hands, not Big Tech's — and that's a win for our communities.

Google's new Gemini Spark AI agent can handle tasks on your behalf — even multi-step ones — and work in the background while you walk away from your computer. The demo claims it's always under your direction and checks with you before major actions.

The Verge tried it last week: Spark is shockingly good at doing things on your behalf. But the author wasn't convinced it's worth the financial cost or the potential privacy tradeoffs. The service tiers add up fast, and the privacy guarantees feel paper-thin for an AI that's always listening.