
Coffee and a Mike Will Tanner #1353
Apr 10, 2026
Will Tanner, writer and co-founder of The American Tribune who hosts The Old World Show, explores history, politics, urban decay, AI and cultural change. He contrasts elite types, traces Virginia and Reconstruction-era shifts, and explains why cities decline. He also discusses AI tools for research, selective urban revival, and the value of patient, local action.
AI Snips
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Transcript
Episode notes
Mall Apartment Developments Are Financialized Blight
- Modern mixed-use mall-apartment developments prioritize transaction churn over durable value and aesthetics.
- Tanner criticizes flimsy five-over-one wood construction and identical retail chains that degrade long-term asset quality.
Use AI For Research And Memory Assistance
- Use AI as a research and memory tool rather than a full autonomous operator.
- Tanner uploads notes to Google/Readwise and uses Gemini for targeted quote retrieval, improving organization and recall.
AI Will Displace Routine Digital Labor First
- AI will replace routine digital labor roles before high-skill judgment roles, reshaping low-level employment.
- Tanner compares AI to historical labor shifts: digital assistants may supplant email triage and basic accounting checks.





