Nik Kale
@nik-kale.bsky.social
Building AI systems that don’t break
Principal Engineer @ Cisco
Agentic automation · AI security · In-product AI systems
Patents · Industry awards · Judging
Principal Engineer @ Cisco
Agentic automation · AI security · In-product AI systems
Patents · Industry awards · Judging
Most AI copilots fail for the same reason: they sit outside the systems they're meant to assist.
Without direct awareness of application state, permissions, and user context, they can answer questions but can't actually guide users through complex workflows.
Without direct awareness of application state, permissions, and user context, they can answer questions but can't actually guide users through complex workflows.
January 16, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Most AI copilots fail for the same reason: they sit outside the systems they're meant to assist.
Without direct awareness of application state, permissions, and user context, they can answer questions but can't actually guide users through complex workflows.
Without direct awareness of application state, permissions, and user context, they can answer questions but can't actually guide users through complex workflows.
The failure of AI agents in 2025 didn't arrive as a dramatic collapse. It arrived quietly.
An agent skipped a step. A workflow behaved differently than expected. A decision was made that no one remembered authorizing.
An agent skipped a step. A workflow behaved differently than expected. A decision was made that no one remembered authorizing.
January 15, 2026 at 8:00 PM
The failure of AI agents in 2025 didn't arrive as a dramatic collapse. It arrived quietly.
An agent skipped a step. A workflow behaved differently than expected. A decision was made that no one remembered authorizing.
An agent skipped a step. A workflow behaved differently than expected. A decision was made that no one remembered authorizing.
Palo Alto Networks' security chief just called AI agents "the new insider threat."
The risk: agents granted broad permissions become superusers that chain access across sensitive applications without security teams' knowledge.
CIOs are asking three questions before granting AI autonomy:
The risk: agents granted broad permissions become superusers that chain access across sensitive applications without security teams' knowledge.
CIOs are asking three questions before granting AI autonomy:
January 15, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Palo Alto Networks' security chief just called AI agents "the new insider threat."
The risk: agents granted broad permissions become superusers that chain access across sensitive applications without security teams' knowledge.
CIOs are asking three questions before granting AI autonomy:
The risk: agents granted broad permissions become superusers that chain access across sensitive applications without security teams' knowledge.
CIOs are asking three questions before granting AI autonomy:
AI Security Fundamentals: An Architectural Playbook [2026 UPDATE] open.substack.com/pub/nikkale...
January 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM
AI Security Fundamentals: An Architectural Playbook [2026 UPDATE] open.substack.com/pub/nikkale...
Turning California's dry farmland into a 21-GW solar farm is exactly the kind of practical climate action we need.
Pushes renewable energy goals forward, and delivers real jobs.
This is how you do it.
interestingengineering.com/energy/cali...
Pushes renewable energy goals forward, and delivers real jobs.
This is how you do it.
interestingengineering.com/energy/cali...
California's dry farmland to be repurposed for 21 GW of solar power
The 21-GW solar farm initiative will "create thousands of jobs and help California meet its statewide renewable energy goals."
interestingengineering.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Turning California's dry farmland into a 21-GW solar farm is exactly the kind of practical climate action we need.
Pushes renewable energy goals forward, and delivers real jobs.
This is how you do it.
interestingengineering.com/energy/cali...
Pushes renewable energy goals forward, and delivers real jobs.
This is how you do it.
interestingengineering.com/energy/cali...
Everyone is focused on Apple picking Gemini for Siri.
The wrong conversation.
Chat capabilities are table stakes. Every model can answer questions now. The real fight is the action layer.
Can Siri reliably:
- Book a reservation inside OpenTable
- Update a task in Notion
The wrong conversation.
Chat capabilities are table stakes. Every model can answer questions now. The real fight is the action layer.
Can Siri reliably:
- Book a reservation inside OpenTable
- Update a task in Notion
January 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Everyone is focused on Apple picking Gemini for Siri.
The wrong conversation.
Chat capabilities are table stakes. Every model can answer questions now. The real fight is the action layer.
Can Siri reliably:
- Book a reservation inside OpenTable
- Update a task in Notion
The wrong conversation.
Chat capabilities are table stakes. Every model can answer questions now. The real fight is the action layer.
Can Siri reliably:
- Book a reservation inside OpenTable
- Update a task in Notion
Apple just confirmed Gemini will power the next Siri.
This isn't a surrender. It's the same playbook they've run before.
Apple leaned on Intel until M-series was ready. On Google Maps until Apple Maps caught up. On Qualcomm until in-house modems shipped.
This isn't a surrender. It's the same playbook they've run before.
Apple leaned on Intel until M-series was ready. On Google Maps until Apple Maps caught up. On Qualcomm until in-house modems shipped.
January 13, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Apple just confirmed Gemini will power the next Siri.
This isn't a surrender. It's the same playbook they've run before.
Apple leaned on Intel until M-series was ready. On Google Maps until Apple Maps caught up. On Qualcomm until in-house modems shipped.
This isn't a surrender. It's the same playbook they've run before.
Apple leaned on Intel until M-series was ready. On Google Maps until Apple Maps caught up. On Qualcomm until in-house modems shipped.
82% of enterprises use AI agents daily. But ask them who owns an agent after the person who deployed it leaves, and you'll get silence.
January 12, 2026 at 8:00 PM
82% of enterprises use AI agents daily. But ask them who owns an agent after the person who deployed it leaves, and you'll get silence.
The blast radius problem with agentic automation is almost always cross-workflow chaining.
An agent designed for one process gets connected via API to billing, provisioning, compliance logging. Each connection is reasonable in isolation.
An agent designed for one process gets connected via API to billing, provisioning, compliance logging. Each connection is reasonable in isolation.
January 9, 2026 at 8:00 PM
The blast radius problem with agentic automation is almost always cross-workflow chaining.
An agent designed for one process gets connected via API to billing, provisioning, compliance logging. Each connection is reasonable in isolation.
An agent designed for one process gets connected via API to billing, provisioning, compliance logging. Each connection is reasonable in isolation.
A multi-agent system ran in a recursive loop for 11 days before anyone noticed. The bill: $47,000.
No observability. No stop conditions. No cost ceilings.
Governance added late doesn't slow AI down. It shuts it off.
No observability. No stop conditions. No cost ceilings.
Governance added late doesn't slow AI down. It shuts it off.
January 9, 2026 at 1:00 AM
A multi-agent system ran in a recursive loop for 11 days before anyone noticed. The bill: $47,000.
No observability. No stop conditions. No cost ceilings.
Governance added late doesn't slow AI down. It shuts it off.
No observability. No stop conditions. No cost ceilings.
Governance added late doesn't slow AI down. It shuts it off.
1/ Edge AI in enterprise security looks different than edge AI in retail or manufacturing.
Same concept. Very different constraints.
Here's what I've learned running local inference on endpoints and gateways:
Same concept. Very different constraints.
Here's what I've learned running local inference on endpoints and gateways:
January 8, 2026 at 8:00 PM
1/ Edge AI in enterprise security looks different than edge AI in retail or manufacturing.
Same concept. Very different constraints.
Here's what I've learned running local inference on endpoints and gateways:
Same concept. Very different constraints.
Here's what I've learned running local inference on endpoints and gateways:
Human-in-the-loop is evolving faster than most org charts can keep up with.
The pattern I keep seeing: humans shift from decision-makers to policy authors without anyone updating the governance model.
The pattern I keep seeing: humans shift from decision-makers to policy authors without anyone updating the governance model.
January 8, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Human-in-the-loop is evolving faster than most org charts can keep up with.
The pattern I keep seeing: humans shift from decision-makers to policy authors without anyone updating the governance model.
The pattern I keep seeing: humans shift from decision-makers to policy authors without anyone updating the governance model.
Finland teaching kids to spot AI deepfakes as part of media literacy is genuinely impressive.
Feels like the kind of foundational skill every country should be prioritizing right now.
www.euronews.com/next/2026/0...
Feels like the kind of foundational skill every country should be prioritizing right now.
www.euronews.com/next/2026/0...
How Finland is teaching schoolchildren AI literacy
As deepfakes proliferate online, Finland adds AI literacy to its school curriculum to help children as young as 3 to recognise AI-generated fake news.
www.euronews.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Finland teaching kids to spot AI deepfakes as part of media literacy is genuinely impressive.
Feels like the kind of foundational skill every country should be prioritizing right now.
www.euronews.com/next/2026/0...
Feels like the kind of foundational skill every country should be prioritizing right now.
www.euronews.com/next/2026/0...
t's impressive to see a sensor with the sensitivity to pick up signals dark matter might be giving off.
If this pans out, we could have an entirely new way to observe the universe, beyond traditional telescopes.
dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/pre...
If this pans out, we could have an entirely new way to observe the universe, beyond traditional telescopes.
dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/pre...
A Japanese Team Built a Sensor So Precise, It Might Have Found a Way to Track Dark Matter
This new sensor can detect dark matter, what even telescopes can’t see.
dailygalaxy.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:00 AM
t's impressive to see a sensor with the sensitivity to pick up signals dark matter might be giving off.
If this pans out, we could have an entirely new way to observe the universe, beyond traditional telescopes.
dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/pre...
If this pans out, we could have an entirely new way to observe the universe, beyond traditional telescopes.
dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/pre...
AI gets better at writing code.
Engineers think they can coast.
Here's what's actually happening.
You're not writing less code because AI is smarter.
Engineers think they can coast.
Here's what's actually happening.
You're not writing less code because AI is smarter.
January 6, 2026 at 8:00 PM
AI gets better at writing code.
Engineers think they can coast.
Here's what's actually happening.
You're not writing less code because AI is smarter.
Engineers think they can coast.
Here's what's actually happening.
You're not writing less code because AI is smarter.
The 2025 landscape for large language models is shaping up with real advances, and some very familiar stumbling blocks.
We're pushing boundaries, but it already looks like the biggest 2026 wins will come from smarter scaling and architecture tweaks. not just raw power.
We're pushing boundaries, but it already looks like the biggest 2026 wins will come from smarter scaling and architecture tweaks. not just raw power.
January 6, 2026 at 1:00 AM
The 2025 landscape for large language models is shaping up with real advances, and some very familiar stumbling blocks.
We're pushing boundaries, but it already looks like the biggest 2026 wins will come from smarter scaling and architecture tweaks. not just raw power.
We're pushing boundaries, but it already looks like the biggest 2026 wins will come from smarter scaling and architecture tweaks. not just raw power.
One AI org pattern I'm starting to notice
Execs who can vibe-code prototypes in Claude, but zero path to production
The future belongs to teams who can translate AI experiments into reliable systems without killing what made the prototype work.
Execs who can vibe-code prototypes in Claude, but zero path to production
The future belongs to teams who can translate AI experiments into reliable systems without killing what made the prototype work.
January 5, 2026 at 8:00 PM
One AI org pattern I'm starting to notice
Execs who can vibe-code prototypes in Claude, but zero path to production
The future belongs to teams who can translate AI experiments into reliable systems without killing what made the prototype work.
Execs who can vibe-code prototypes in Claude, but zero path to production
The future belongs to teams who can translate AI experiments into reliable systems without killing what made the prototype work.
Agent engineering isn't just harder software development
It's a completely different discipline
Traditional systems:
- Known inputs
- Predictable outputs
- Deterministic behavior
while:
It's a completely different discipline
Traditional systems:
- Known inputs
- Predictable outputs
- Deterministic behavior
while:
January 3, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Agent engineering isn't just harder software development
It's a completely different discipline
Traditional systems:
- Known inputs
- Predictable outputs
- Deterministic behavior
while:
It's a completely different discipline
Traditional systems:
- Known inputs
- Predictable outputs
- Deterministic behavior
while:
AI coding tools blur a critical line
- Prototype fast? Yes
- Production ready? Not even close
- "It works" ≠ "It works at scale"
The gap between demo and deployment has never been wider.
- Prototype fast? Yes
- Production ready? Not even close
- "It works" ≠ "It works at scale"
The gap between demo and deployment has never been wider.
January 2, 2026 at 8:00 PM
AI coding tools blur a critical line
- Prototype fast? Yes
- Production ready? Not even close
- "It works" ≠ "It works at scale"
The gap between demo and deployment has never been wider.
- Prototype fast? Yes
- Production ready? Not even close
- "It works" ≠ "It works at scale"
The gap between demo and deployment has never been wider.
The best resolutions for complex systems are subtractive.
Fewer tools.
Fewer dashboards.
Fewer permissions.
Clearer ownership.
Growth comes from focus, not accumulation.
Here is to building systems that age well.
Fewer tools.
Fewer dashboards.
Fewer permissions.
Clearer ownership.
Growth comes from focus, not accumulation.
Here is to building systems that age well.
January 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM
The best resolutions for complex systems are subtractive.
Fewer tools.
Fewer dashboards.
Fewer permissions.
Clearer ownership.
Growth comes from focus, not accumulation.
Here is to building systems that age well.
Fewer tools.
Fewer dashboards.
Fewer permissions.
Clearer ownership.
Growth comes from focus, not accumulation.
Here is to building systems that age well.
The proliferation of functionally similar AI models raises a fundamental question about competitive moats in AI infrastructure. If cutting-edge technology can be replicated so quickly, where does sustainable differentiation actually come from? Not the model weights. those commoditize fast.
January 1, 2026 at 1:00 AM
The proliferation of functionally similar AI models raises a fundamental question about competitive moats in AI infrastructure. If cutting-edge technology can be replicated so quickly, where does sustainable differentiation actually come from? Not the model weights. those commoditize fast.
Reflecting on the year, one pattern emerges.
Successful teams focused on signals, identity, and ownership, not novelty.
Those that struggled had flashy demos but weak foundations.
The gap between them grew.
Next year, solid fundamentals will be even more rewarding. 📈
Successful teams focused on signals, identity, and ownership, not novelty.
Those that struggled had flashy demos but weak foundations.
The gap between them grew.
Next year, solid fundamentals will be even more rewarding. 📈
December 31, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reflecting on the year, one pattern emerges.
Successful teams focused on signals, identity, and ownership, not novelty.
Those that struggled had flashy demos but weak foundations.
The gap between them grew.
Next year, solid fundamentals will be even more rewarding. 📈
Successful teams focused on signals, identity, and ownership, not novelty.
Those that struggled had flashy demos but weak foundations.
The gap between them grew.
Next year, solid fundamentals will be even more rewarding. 📈
The hardest part of edge AI isn't the model.
It's the constraints:
4-8GB RAM budgets on endpoints
CPU cycles you can't monopolize
OS diversity across thousands of devices
Updates that can't break user experience
Fitting intelligence into those boundaries is where the real engineering happens. ⚙️
It's the constraints:
4-8GB RAM budgets on endpoints
CPU cycles you can't monopolize
OS diversity across thousands of devices
Updates that can't break user experience
Fitting intelligence into those boundaries is where the real engineering happens. ⚙️
December 30, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The hardest part of edge AI isn't the model.
It's the constraints:
4-8GB RAM budgets on endpoints
CPU cycles you can't monopolize
OS diversity across thousands of devices
Updates that can't break user experience
Fitting intelligence into those boundaries is where the real engineering happens. ⚙️
It's the constraints:
4-8GB RAM budgets on endpoints
CPU cycles you can't monopolize
OS diversity across thousands of devices
Updates that can't break user experience
Fitting intelligence into those boundaries is where the real engineering happens. ⚙️
From an enterprise systems perspective, enforcement actions around AI data access reinforce a constraint that's existed for production deployments for years.
You can't scale AI systems on inputs you can't verify or govern.
You can't scale AI systems on inputs you can't verify or govern.
December 29, 2025 at 8:00 PM
From an enterprise systems perspective, enforcement actions around AI data access reinforce a constraint that's existed for production deployments for years.
You can't scale AI systems on inputs you can't verify or govern.
You can't scale AI systems on inputs you can't verify or govern.
Paying people to bike to work sounds impossible in North America
- Congestion, air quality, health, access. Europe's seen real returns
- Policy incentives that actually reshape daily commute habits
What would it take to make this work here?
momentummag.com/is-it-time-...
- Congestion, air quality, health, access. Europe's seen real returns
- Policy incentives that actually reshape daily commute habits
What would it take to make this work here?
momentummag.com/is-it-time-...
Here's Why Governments Should Start Paying People to Bike to Work
In North America, where cars reign supreme, a new idea could gain ground like it is in some areas of Europe — paying people to bike to work
momentummag.com
December 27, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Paying people to bike to work sounds impossible in North America
- Congestion, air quality, health, access. Europe's seen real returns
- Policy incentives that actually reshape daily commute habits
What would it take to make this work here?
momentummag.com/is-it-time-...
- Congestion, air quality, health, access. Europe's seen real returns
- Policy incentives that actually reshape daily commute habits
What would it take to make this work here?
momentummag.com/is-it-time-...