David Olney
The End of the Beginning: AI and the future of Human Agency
When the people competing to build the most powerful artificial intelligence start agreeing that they need to slow down, we…
Looking Good Without Looking: An Experiment in Style, AI, and Agency
David James Olney and ChatGPT 5 September 2026 Over the last few months, I have been my own lab rat…
A more capable union: How the United States can own its mess
3 September, 2026 This report applies the argument developed in How the hell did we get here? Why the West…
Getting on the road to somewhere: How the West can own its mess
This report follows How the hell did we get here? Why the West is a mess. Executive Summary The West…
How the hell did we get here? Why the West is a mess
A systems account of political economy, social connection, emotional maturity, health, and institutional problem solving Executive Summary How the hell…
Mentoring with Me
In late 2013 I was happily engrossed in finding and assimilating fascinating ideas, while I was preparing to teach Complex…
Why you should consider asking a learner question, before you end the conversation with a suggestion
I just finished listening to the 4th Edition of Marilee Adams outstanding book, Change Your Questions, Change Your Life. The…
See, Believe, Explain, Achieve
I just finished listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger's new book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life. As well as being thoroughly…
How to establish an action orientation
Establishing an action orientation is relatively simple, but not easy. Converting negative emotion into an impetus for constructive action is…
Keep the conversation going
Receive updates from my website, including new writing about thinking, communication and the choices that shape our work and lives.
What are you working through?
If you have a problem to untangle, a message to clarify or a team you want to help develop, tell me a little about it. A useful conversation can begin before you know exactly what help you need.
Contact David