Public Event

In Person

ArtificialRuby.ai June - After the Agent. Two Ways Out of the Chat Box.

RSVP

Jun

4

"When you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. Your tastes only narrow & exclude people. So create." - Why the Lucky Stiff

After the Agent. Two ways out of the chat box.

This month’s event is focused on what comes after the agent frame. Where do we go next?We have two talks with two takes. One asking what these things actually are, maybe the "agent" word itself is holding us back. One asking what you actually do with them, once you stop trying to manage them like coworkers.If you've been building with AI lately and felt that "agent" wasn't quite the right word for what you were doing or itching to see where these things go next, you won't want to miss these talks!

​​Demos

Scott Werner: Talking Shit About AI Agents
Ask seven people what an "AI agent" is and you'll get nine answers. One person will change their mind twice. When we can't name something, it usually means we're looking at something genuinely new. In this talk, I'll argue that what we're calling 'agents' might actually be a new programming paradigm hiding in plain sight. You'll also see a brief demo of what building in this paradigm might look like and what kind of applications you can build when you think this way.

Bryan Helmkamp: Fabro: Orchestrating deterministic AI workflows
AI coding agents are powerful, but they force an awkward choice: babysit or review a giant diff you do not trust. This talk is the story of building Fabro, an open source workflow engine that turns agent work into version-controlled graphs with human gates, model routing, sandboxed execution, and observable runs. We’ll look at the product and architecture decisions behind moving from “chat with an agent” to “orchestrate a process,” and what it takes to make agents useful for real engineering teams.

Would you like to demo?

If you are interested in speaking at future events, please fill out the form. The demos are usually about 10 minutes and feature a cool AI tool or feature built in Ruby/Rails.

About Us

Artificial Ruby is a monthly gathering for people who build things: engineers, designers, founders, and anyone else who's picked up AI and started creating with it. Those creating for the first time or who are creating more than they ever thought possible.

​We started as a Ruby and AI community and that's our foundation, but our events are for anyone who shares the same ethos: ship things, stay curious, be generous with what you know. You'll find senior engineers who've been in the Ruby community for 15 years alongside designers, PMs, and founders who are building with AI for the first time. What everyone has in common is they're actually making things and they're excited about it.

​Each event: three talks, good conversation, and plenty of time to connect with people who are navigating this moment alongside you.

Important: Please bring a valid photo ID that matches your RSVP for admission.

when

Thursday
June 4, 2026
6:00 pm

LoCATION

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014

agenda

6:00-6:45 PM: Arrive, mingle, drinks and refreshments

6:45-7:00 PM: Introductions

7:00-8:00 PM: Demos

​8:00-9:00 PM: Food, drinks and connections

Speakers

No items found.

Sponsors

In Person
Public Event

ArtificialRuby.ai June - After the Agent. Two Ways Out of the Chat Box.

June 4, 2026
6:00 pm

Postponed: New Date TBA

RSVP

About

"When you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. Your tastes only narrow & exclude people. So create." - Why the Lucky Stiff

After the Agent. Two ways out of the chat box.

This month’s event is focused on what comes after the agent frame. Where do we go next?We have two talks with two takes. One asking what these things actually are, maybe the "agent" word itself is holding us back. One asking what you actually do with them, once you stop trying to manage them like coworkers.If you've been building with AI lately and felt that "agent" wasn't quite the right word for what you were doing or itching to see where these things go next, you won't want to miss these talks!

​​Demos

Scott Werner: Talking Shit About AI Agents
Ask seven people what an "AI agent" is and you'll get nine answers. One person will change their mind twice. When we can't name something, it usually means we're looking at something genuinely new. In this talk, I'll argue that what we're calling 'agents' might actually be a new programming paradigm hiding in plain sight. You'll also see a brief demo of what building in this paradigm might look like and what kind of applications you can build when you think this way.

Bryan Helmkamp: Fabro: Orchestrating deterministic AI workflows
AI coding agents are powerful, but they force an awkward choice: babysit or review a giant diff you do not trust. This talk is the story of building Fabro, an open source workflow engine that turns agent work into version-controlled graphs with human gates, model routing, sandboxed execution, and observable runs. We’ll look at the product and architecture decisions behind moving from “chat with an agent” to “orchestrate a process,” and what it takes to make agents useful for real engineering teams.

Would you like to demo?

If you are interested in speaking at future events, please fill out the form. The demos are usually about 10 minutes and feature a cool AI tool or feature built in Ruby/Rails.

About Us

Artificial Ruby is a monthly gathering for people who build things: engineers, designers, founders, and anyone else who's picked up AI and started creating with it. Those creating for the first time or who are creating more than they ever thought possible.

​We started as a Ruby and AI community and that's our foundation, but our events are for anyone who shares the same ethos: ship things, stay curious, be generous with what you know. You'll find senior engineers who've been in the Ruby community for 15 years alongside designers, PMs, and founders who are building with AI for the first time. What everyone has in common is they're actually making things and they're excited about it.

​Each event: three talks, good conversation, and plenty of time to connect with people who are navigating this moment alongside you.

Important: Please bring a valid photo ID that matches your RSVP for admission.

When

June 4, 2026
6:00 pm

Where

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014
RSVP

Agenda

6:00-6:45 PM: Arrive, mingle, drinks and refreshments

6:45-7:00 PM: Introductions

7:00-8:00 PM: Demos

​8:00-9:00 PM: Food, drinks and connections

Speakers

No items found.

Sponsors

Proof of Full Vaccination Required

Betaworks requires all visitors to show proof of full vaccination to enter. No exceptions. Two ways that you can show proof:
  • Official vaccine card with at least 2 weeks having passed since the date of the last required dose (1 dose for J&J/AstraZeneca, 2 for Pfizer/Moderna)
  • An active digital pass such as the NY State Excelsior Pass or the CLEAR app

June

4

Public Event

In Person

ArtificialRuby.ai June - After the Agent. Two Ways Out of the Chat Box.

Register Now
"When you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. Your tastes only narrow & exclude people. So create." - Why the Lucky Stiff

After the Agent. Two ways out of the chat box.

This month’s event is focused on what comes after the agent frame. Where do we go next?We have two talks with two takes. One asking what these things actually are, maybe the "agent" word itself is holding us back. One asking what you actually do with them, once you stop trying to manage them like coworkers.If you've been building with AI lately and felt that "agent" wasn't quite the right word for what you were doing or itching to see where these things go next, you won't want to miss these talks!

​​Demos

Scott Werner: Talking Shit About AI Agents
Ask seven people what an "AI agent" is and you'll get nine answers. One person will change their mind twice. When we can't name something, it usually means we're looking at something genuinely new. In this talk, I'll argue that what we're calling 'agents' might actually be a new programming paradigm hiding in plain sight. You'll also see a brief demo of what building in this paradigm might look like and what kind of applications you can build when you think this way.

Bryan Helmkamp: Fabro: Orchestrating deterministic AI workflows
AI coding agents are powerful, but they force an awkward choice: babysit or review a giant diff you do not trust. This talk is the story of building Fabro, an open source workflow engine that turns agent work into version-controlled graphs with human gates, model routing, sandboxed execution, and observable runs. We’ll look at the product and architecture decisions behind moving from “chat with an agent” to “orchestrate a process,” and what it takes to make agents useful for real engineering teams.

Would you like to demo?

If you are interested in speaking at future events, please fill out the form. The demos are usually about 10 minutes and feature a cool AI tool or feature built in Ruby/Rails.

About Us

Artificial Ruby is a monthly gathering for people who build things: engineers, designers, founders, and anyone else who's picked up AI and started creating with it. Those creating for the first time or who are creating more than they ever thought possible.

​We started as a Ruby and AI community and that's our foundation, but our events are for anyone who shares the same ethos: ship things, stay curious, be generous with what you know. You'll find senior engineers who've been in the Ruby community for 15 years alongside designers, PMs, and founders who are building with AI for the first time. What everyone has in common is they're actually making things and they're excited about it.

​Each event: three talks, good conversation, and plenty of time to connect with people who are navigating this moment alongside you.

Important: Please bring a valid photo ID that matches your RSVP for admission.

when

Thursday
June 4, 2026
6:00 pm

LoCATION

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014

agenda

6:00-6:45 PM: Arrive, mingle, drinks and refreshments

6:45-7:00 PM: Introductions

7:00-8:00 PM: Demos

​8:00-9:00 PM: Food, drinks and connections

Speakers

No items found.

Sponsors

6/4/2026

Betaworks

ArtificialRuby.ai June - After the Agent. Two Ways Out of the Chat Box.

Presented by

"When you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. Your tastes only narrow & exclude people. So create." - Why the Lucky Stiff

After the Agent. Two ways out of the chat box.

This month’s event is focused on what comes after the agent frame. Where do we go next?We have two talks with two takes. One asking what these things actually are, maybe the "agent" word itself is holding us back. One asking what you actually do with them, once you stop trying to manage them like coworkers.If you've been building with AI lately and felt that "agent" wasn't quite the right word for what you were doing or itching to see where these things go next, you won't want to miss these talks!

​​Demos

Scott Werner: Talking Shit About AI Agents
Ask seven people what an "AI agent" is and you'll get nine answers. One person will change their mind twice. When we can't name something, it usually means we're looking at something genuinely new. In this talk, I'll argue that what we're calling 'agents' might actually be a new programming paradigm hiding in plain sight. You'll also see a brief demo of what building in this paradigm might look like and what kind of applications you can build when you think this way.

Bryan Helmkamp: Fabro: Orchestrating deterministic AI workflows
AI coding agents are powerful, but they force an awkward choice: babysit or review a giant diff you do not trust. This talk is the story of building Fabro, an open source workflow engine that turns agent work into version-controlled graphs with human gates, model routing, sandboxed execution, and observable runs. We’ll look at the product and architecture decisions behind moving from “chat with an agent” to “orchestrate a process,” and what it takes to make agents useful for real engineering teams.

Would you like to demo?

If you are interested in speaking at future events, please fill out the form. The demos are usually about 10 minutes and feature a cool AI tool or feature built in Ruby/Rails.

About Us

Artificial Ruby is a monthly gathering for people who build things: engineers, designers, founders, and anyone else who's picked up AI and started creating with it. Those creating for the first time or who are creating more than they ever thought possible.

​We started as a Ruby and AI community and that's our foundation, but our events are for anyone who shares the same ethos: ship things, stay curious, be generous with what you know. You'll find senior engineers who've been in the Ruby community for 15 years alongside designers, PMs, and founders who are building with AI for the first time. What everyone has in common is they're actually making things and they're excited about it.

​Each event: three talks, good conversation, and plenty of time to connect with people who are navigating this moment alongside you.

Important: Please bring a valid photo ID that matches your RSVP for admission.

speakers

No items found.

Schedule

No items found.

WHEN

Thursday, June 4, 2026
6:00 pm

WHERE

Betaworks
29 Little West 12th Street
New York, NY 10014

Agenda

6:00-6:45 PM: Arrive, mingle, drinks and refreshments

6:45-7:00 PM: Introductions

7:00-8:00 PM: Demos

​8:00-9:00 PM: Food, drinks and connections

Tools
For
Thinking

How New Technologies are Changing How We Create, Share, and Build Knowledge

When

June 4, 2026
6:00 pm

Where

Betaworks • 29 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY 10014
Proof of Full Vaccination Required

RENDER is Over, but Camp is just beginning

We had some great speakers and participants turn out for Render, and we all got to participate in very interesting conversations. You can find recordings of all of our sessions below. If you're working on a Tool for Thinking and want to participate in our upcoming accelerator program, you can learn more here.

Building Bicycles for the Mind

"When you don't create things, you become defined by your tastes rather than ability. Your tastes only narrow & exclude people. So create." - Why the Lucky Stiff

After the Agent. Two ways out of the chat box.

This month’s event is focused on what comes after the agent frame. Where do we go next?We have two talks with two takes. One asking what these things actually are, maybe the "agent" word itself is holding us back. One asking what you actually do with them, once you stop trying to manage them like coworkers.If you've been building with AI lately and felt that "agent" wasn't quite the right word for what you were doing or itching to see where these things go next, you won't want to miss these talks!

​​Demos

Scott Werner: Talking Shit About AI Agents
Ask seven people what an "AI agent" is and you'll get nine answers. One person will change their mind twice. When we can't name something, it usually means we're looking at something genuinely new. In this talk, I'll argue that what we're calling 'agents' might actually be a new programming paradigm hiding in plain sight. You'll also see a brief demo of what building in this paradigm might look like and what kind of applications you can build when you think this way.

Bryan Helmkamp: Fabro: Orchestrating deterministic AI workflows
AI coding agents are powerful, but they force an awkward choice: babysit or review a giant diff you do not trust. This talk is the story of building Fabro, an open source workflow engine that turns agent work into version-controlled graphs with human gates, model routing, sandboxed execution, and observable runs. We’ll look at the product and architecture decisions behind moving from “chat with an agent” to “orchestrate a process,” and what it takes to make agents useful for real engineering teams.

Would you like to demo?

If you are interested in speaking at future events, please fill out the form. The demos are usually about 10 minutes and feature a cool AI tool or feature built in Ruby/Rails.

About Us

Artificial Ruby is a monthly gathering for people who build things: engineers, designers, founders, and anyone else who's picked up AI and started creating with it. Those creating for the first time or who are creating more than they ever thought possible.

​We started as a Ruby and AI community and that's our foundation, but our events are for anyone who shares the same ethos: ship things, stay curious, be generous with what you know. You'll find senior engineers who've been in the Ruby community for 15 years alongside designers, PMs, and founders who are building with AI for the first time. What everyone has in common is they're actually making things and they're excited about it.

​Each event: three talks, good conversation, and plenty of time to connect with people who are navigating this moment alongside you.

Important: Please bring a valid photo ID that matches your RSVP for admission.

Speakers

Howard

Rheingold

Author
Tools for Thought
@hrheingold
No items found.

Schedule

11:30 AM
Doors Open
12:00 PM
Welcome
with MC
12:10 PM – 12:20 PM
How Do We Define Tools for Thinking and Why Do They Matter?
Join Jerry Michalski and John Borthwick as they talk about their interest in tools for thinking, and what excites them the most about the future of the category.
12:20 PM – 12:50 PM
Inflection Points for Tools for Thinking
What are the key inflection points that will supercharge Tools for Thinking in the near future? How will new technologies, user metaphors, and funding models change how people build these tools? John Borthwick will be discussing how the landscape is changing with the co-founders of Readwise, Daniel Doyon & Tristan Homsi.
12:50 PM – 1:00 PM
Q+A
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Demo: Protocol Design for Tools for Thinking
Gordon Brander will be presenting a brief demo on Subconscious and the Noosphere, products he and his team are working on to allow Tools for Thinking to become interoperable and better connected.
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch and Networking
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
The History and Future of Software as Tools for Thinking
Some of the earliest examples of software explored by pioneers like Doug Engelbart, JCR Licklider, Alan Turing, and others were at their core technologies that help magnify, inspect, and spread our ideas. Jerry Michalski will be sitting down (virtually) with Howard Rheingold, author of Tools for Thought, to explore the history and future of "mind-amplifying technology".
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Q+A
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Tools for Thinking Product Demos
We’ll hear from builders and thinkers deep in the space and get to take a look at what they’re working on. We’ll be checking out Plexus, Re:Collect, Jerry’s Brain, Subconscious and more. 
4:15 PM – 4:45 PM
Leveraging AI and ML in Building New Tools for Thinking
Alice Albrecht and Linus Lee will be sitting down with Chris Pedregal to discuss their work in leveraging AI and Machine Learning for creating new kinds of tools for thinking.
4:45 PM – 5:00 PM
Q+A
5:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Idea Dimensionality and Representing Semantic Meaning
How do ideas - and the human brains that make and hold them - interact?  Get prepared for meta! Esther Dyson and Jerry Michalski, will discuss the idea of how people work together to shape, compare, intertwine and ultimately produce multi-faceted ideas and multi-dimensional idea spaces.  As David Waltz (Thinking Machines) once said, “Words are not in themselves carriers of meaning, but merely pointers to shared understanding.” Watch and lob questions as the two of them try to build and share the idea of how better ideas can be developed through collaboration.
5:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Q+A
5:45 PM – 7:00 PM
Closing and Happy Hour

Proof of Full Vaccination Required

Betaworks requires all visitors to show proof of full vaccination to enter. No exceptions. Two ways that you can show proof:
  • Official vaccine card with at least 2 weeks having passed since the date of the last required dose (1 dose for J&J/AstraZeneca, 2 for Pfizer/Moderna)
  • An active digital pass such as the NY State Excelsior Pass or the CLEAR app