Flood Fill vs. The Magic Circle
Summary
Robin Sloan reframes AI automation as a flood fill that risks overrunning digital space, but asserts a persistent 'magic circle' boundary that protects the physical world. Using examples from printers, sewing, and USPS tracking, the piece argues computation is powerful yet limited by the real world and that fully autonomous physical automation remains constrained. It offers practical takeaways for builders and business leaders to blend digital capabilities with tactile processes rather than chase total automation.