I knew I was back in San Francisco after eight days in Quebec City because the air was sweet and cold … and there were AI ads everywhere, each one more ridiculous than satire.

While I was learning Quebecois slang (super poche!), COYOTE published an article of mine that I’d been noodling on for a while, about what would happen if we invested as much money into Bay Area public transit as we do into San Francisco AI companies. It’s a reported essay — I talked to a bunch of experts — but it’s also in the most wild tradition of thought experiments. I’m not suggesting that there’s some practical way to convince VCs to invest in Bay Area buses, trains, and subways. I’m asking readers to dream big. Here’s how I frame it:

If the AI industry is going to turn the Bay Area into its own private thought experiment, then we need to push back with a thought experiment of our own. It’s worth asking: What if we gave public transportation the same amount of money that investors have given to AI? With billions of dollars, what could transit do? And how might it transform our cities and lives?

In the course of my research, I discovered that there are dozens of studies that show public transit enhances productivity and economic vitality. Plus, there is a long history of transit experiments and government funding for transit that paid off big time. When it’s easy for people to commute to work, to shopping districts, to schools and more, money pours into local economies. People have better employment opportunities because it’s easier to get to work without owning a car. Their quality of life improves because they can travel safely to events at night, and take fun trips to visit family and friends on weekends. Ultimately the whole region benefits.

AI companies claim their products will lead to greater productivity and happiness, but constantly fail to achieve this goal. AI makes workers less productive, damages our mental health, and generates economic precarity as companies lay off workers — and, as they realize their mistake, chaotically rehire a few of them. Over half of Americans think AI damages our ability to think creatively.

If we really want all the optimization and prosperity that AI promises, maybe it’s time to beef up funding for subways, ferries, and buses. Read the full article on COYOTE to find out more.

Speaking of thought experiments, I have a new and extremely weird sci-fi novel coming out on Oct. 6! It’s called A Wall Is Also a Road, and it’s about a slime mold from beyond the galaxy who is also a grad student. They come to Earth to study our ecosystems, and meet a badass sex worker in ancient Pompeii. Para-galactic civilization and ancient Rome! And that’s just the beginning. Excitingly, it’s already gotten some rave reviews! Kirkus calls it "very strange and strangely satisfying." Publishers Weekly says it is "as bizarre as it is meticulous." I’ll be on book tour this fall, so come say hi!

My pal Fivestar from Luster Productions filmed a teaser trailer where I talk about the book. Please pre-order a copy — it really helps. You can get signed copies from Green Apple Books and Noe Valley Books.

In a final bit of delightful news, I just graduated from San Francisco’s Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) class, taught by an extremely nice and patient group of the city’s firefighters. (In most cities, this organization is called CERT, or Community Emergency Response Team.) If there is a mass casualty event or disaster in my city — which generally means a big earthquake or fire — I can now work with firefighters to assess damage, triage injured people, and generally help out. NERT’s slogan is “do the most good for the most people,” and joining them has been a bright, Utopian spot in my summer.