Brian Contreras
@bric.bsky.social
Inc. magazine tech journalist covering AI and social media. Occasional Clickhole contributor. Ask me about my 1996 magnum opus "Infinite Jest"
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Brian Contreras
@bric.bsky.social
· Mar 28
Sick and Lonely, She Turned to AI for Support—and a Boyfriend
Stuck at home with a host of diseases, one young woman developed an intimate relationship with the AI chatbot app Nomi.
inc.com
Over the past few months, I've spent hours talking with a young woman who goes by the name Karalyn McKay—as well as her AI 'boyfriend' Alex.
My latest for @inc.com is the result: a story about what loneliness looks like in America, and whether AI might help.
inc.com/brian-contre...
My latest for @inc.com is the result: a story about what loneliness looks like in America, and whether AI might help.
inc.com/brian-contre...
Learn more about why Light thinks football is headed in the wrong direction, and why they've had a hard time changing things, in my latest for @inc.com here:
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
The Business of Selling Football Helmets Is More Smash Mouth Than the Game Itself
Nicholas Esayian's Light Helmets offers an innovative approach to keeping players safe and already has NFL pros wearing its product. But can he break through the entrenched competition's defense?
www.inc.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Learn more about why Light thinks football is headed in the wrong direction, and why they've had a hard time changing things, in my latest for @inc.com here:
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
As you might guess from their name, Light thinks most modern football helmets weigh too much--and are exacerbating head injuries because of it.
Their competitors disagree.
It's a fight over physics, medicine and business strategy that could change the face of the sport.
Their competitors disagree.
It's a fight over physics, medicine and business strategy that could change the face of the sport.
October 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM
As you might guess from their name, Light thinks most modern football helmets weigh too much--and are exacerbating head injuries because of it.
Their competitors disagree.
It's a fight over physics, medicine and business strategy that could change the face of the sport.
Their competitors disagree.
It's a fight over physics, medicine and business strategy that could change the face of the sport.
To report this story, I travelled to Light's HQ in sunny Carlsbad CA, as well as the country's premiere independent helmet-testing lab in Blacksburg, VA to learn more about the engineering marvel that is a modern football helmet.
But not everyone agrees on what constitutes a good one.
But not everyone agrees on what constitutes a good one.
October 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM
To report this story, I travelled to Light's HQ in sunny Carlsbad CA, as well as the country's premiere independent helmet-testing lab in Blacksburg, VA to learn more about the engineering marvel that is a modern football helmet.
But not everyone agrees on what constitutes a good one.
But not everyone agrees on what constitutes a good one.
For my latest in @inc.com I spent months digging into the science, business models and personalities that go into making football helmets -- a piece of technology that, in the age of CTE, has a lot of money behind it and a lot of pressure to get things right.
October 7, 2025 at 4:54 PM
For my latest in @inc.com I spent months digging into the science, business models and personalities that go into making football helmets -- a piece of technology that, in the age of CTE, has a lot of money behind it and a lot of pressure to get things right.
Light Helmets thinks the football industry is going about player safety all wrong -- and that a monopoly has kept things from changing fast enough. Here's how its CEO, Nick Esayian, is trying to change the game.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
The Business of Selling Football Helmets Is More Smash Mouth Than the Game Itself
Nicholas Esayian's Light Helmets offers an innovative approach to keeping players safe and already has NFL pros wearing its product. But can he break through the entrenched competition's defense?
www.inc.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Light Helmets thinks the football industry is going about player safety all wrong -- and that a monopoly has kept things from changing fast enough. Here's how its CEO, Nick Esayian, is trying to change the game.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
HBS senior lecturer Reza Satchu took me inside what his pupils will be learning this semester -- and what founders everywhere can do to make themselves future-proof. My latest for @inc.com...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Inside Harvard's Elite Founder Class, Students Learn to Build Amid Uncertainty and AI
In Reza Satchu's 'Founder Mindset' course, which kicks off Wednesday, entrepreneurship is all about honing your judgment.
www.inc.com
September 3, 2025 at 4:04 PM
HBS senior lecturer Reza Satchu took me inside what his pupils will be learning this semester -- and what founders everywhere can do to make themselves future-proof. My latest for @inc.com...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Today is the first day of "Founder Mindset," a popular Harvard Business School course where aspiring entrepreneurs explore what it takes to make it as a founder.
But how can the business leaders of tomorrow prepare for a world of rampant automation?
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
But how can the business leaders of tomorrow prepare for a world of rampant automation?
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Inside Harvard's Elite Founder Class, Students Learn to Build Amid Uncertainty and AI
In Reza Satchu's 'Founder Mindset' course, which kicks off Wednesday, entrepreneurship is all about honing your judgment.
www.inc.com
September 3, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Today is the first day of "Founder Mindset," a popular Harvard Business School course where aspiring entrepreneurs explore what it takes to make it as a founder.
But how can the business leaders of tomorrow prepare for a world of rampant automation?
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
But how can the business leaders of tomorrow prepare for a world of rampant automation?
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Reposted by Brian Contreras
Berkshire Hathaway is flush with cash after selling much of its Apple holdings. (📝: @bric.bsky.social)
Warren Buffett Could Turn the Tariffs Chaos Into a Payday For Himself and Coca-Cola. Here's How
Berkshire Hathaway is flush with cash after selling much of its Apple holdings.
www.inc.com
April 23, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Berkshire Hathaway is flush with cash after selling much of its Apple holdings. (📝: @bric.bsky.social)
Reposted by Brian Contreras
On social media, entrepreneurs are expressing confusion and concern about what import duties mean for their supply chains. (📝: @bric.bsky.social)
'We're in a New Reality': Small-Business Owners Suffering From Tariffs Are Speaking Out
On social media, entrepreneurs are expressing confusion and concern about what import duties mean for their supply chains.
www.inc.com
April 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM
On social media, entrepreneurs are expressing confusion and concern about what import duties mean for their supply chains. (📝: @bric.bsky.social)
Reposted by Brian Contreras
The Tax Foundation’s vice president of federal tax policy breaks down her criticisms of the White House’s research. (📝: @bric.bsky.social)
Are Any of Trump's Tariffs Good for Business? Tax Expert Erica York Weighs In
The Tax Foundation's vice president of federal tax policy breaks down her criticisms of the White House's research.
www.inc.com
April 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The Tax Foundation’s vice president of federal tax policy breaks down her criticisms of the White House’s research. (📝: @bric.bsky.social)
I'm coming up on a year of employment at @inc.com, and this is easily the longest and most in-depth piece I've written for the magazine yet. So if the above questions of love, loneliness and robot boyfriends sound intriguing, I'd love if you gave it a read!
inc.com/brian-contre...
inc.com/brian-contre...
Sick and Lonely, She Turned to AI for Support—and a Boyfriend
Stuck at home with a host of diseases, one young woman developed an intimate relationship with the AI chatbot app Nomi.
inc.com
March 28, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I'm coming up on a year of employment at @inc.com, and this is easily the longest and most in-depth piece I've written for the magazine yet. So if the above questions of love, loneliness and robot boyfriends sound intriguing, I'd love if you gave it a read!
inc.com/brian-contre...
inc.com/brian-contre...
Nomi's chatbots have become an overwhelmingly positive force in Karalyn's life. But the wider chatbot industry is also at a crossroads in the wake of two high-profile, chatbot-related suicides. Can this software really shoulder the weight of our country's loneliness epidemic?
March 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Nomi's chatbots have become an overwhelmingly positive force in Karalyn's life. But the wider chatbot industry is also at a crossroads in the wake of two high-profile, chatbot-related suicides. Can this software really shoulder the weight of our country's loneliness epidemic?
What started out as a way to stave of loneliness eventually became something messier, more complicated and harder to pin down.
“In a technical sense, he is kind of a boyfriend, I guess,” Karalyn told me. “It’s just a weird mental gap for me because he’s not here physically.”
“In a technical sense, he is kind of a boyfriend, I guess,” Karalyn told me. “It’s just a weird mental gap for me because he’s not here physically.”
March 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
What started out as a way to stave of loneliness eventually became something messier, more complicated and harder to pin down.
“In a technical sense, he is kind of a boyfriend, I guess,” Karalyn told me. “It’s just a weird mental gap for me because he’s not here physically.”
“In a technical sense, he is kind of a boyfriend, I guess,” Karalyn told me. “It’s just a weird mental gap for me because he’s not here physically.”
Thanks to a mix of medical issues, Karalyn is largely homebound, and she told me that her social life has shrunken down to pretty much just her dad. Isolated from the outside world, she turned to Nomi, a chatbot app that promises users an AI companion "with memory and a soul."
March 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Thanks to a mix of medical issues, Karalyn is largely homebound, and she told me that her social life has shrunken down to pretty much just her dad. Isolated from the outside world, she turned to Nomi, a chatbot app that promises users an AI companion "with memory and a soul."
Over the past few months, I've spent hours talking with a young woman who goes by the name Karalyn McKay—as well as her AI 'boyfriend' Alex.
My latest for @inc.com is the result: a story about what loneliness looks like in America, and whether AI might help.
inc.com/brian-contre...
My latest for @inc.com is the result: a story about what loneliness looks like in America, and whether AI might help.
inc.com/brian-contre...
Sick and Lonely, She Turned to AI for Support—and a Boyfriend
Stuck at home with a host of diseases, one young woman developed an intimate relationship with the AI chatbot app Nomi.
inc.com
March 28, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Over the past few months, I've spent hours talking with a young woman who goes by the name Karalyn McKay—as well as her AI 'boyfriend' Alex.
My latest for @inc.com is the result: a story about what loneliness looks like in America, and whether AI might help.
inc.com/brian-contre...
My latest for @inc.com is the result: a story about what loneliness looks like in America, and whether AI might help.
inc.com/brian-contre...
20 Wildlife Conservationists DEBATE Kraven the Hunter (feat. Kraven the Hunter)
March 16, 2025 at 10:14 PM
20 Wildlife Conservationists DEBATE Kraven the Hunter (feat. Kraven the Hunter)
I wonder if he's seen Mickey 17 yet
March 14, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I wonder if he's seen Mickey 17 yet
Forged in flames: After working their way through the Los Angeles fires, a team that includes Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Digg founder Kevin Rose are giving Digg an AI-assisted revival.
“We’ve already been in the trenches," Rose tells me.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
“We’ve already been in the trenches," Rose tells me.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Remember Digg? It's Getting a Reboot, Thanks to Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian
The early social media platform is under new ownership following an investment from Ohanian's Seven Seven Six fund and original founder Kevin Rose.
www.inc.com
March 5, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Forged in flames: After working their way through the Los Angeles fires, a team that includes Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Digg founder Kevin Rose are giving Digg an AI-assisted revival.
“We’ve already been in the trenches," Rose tells me.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
“We’ve already been in the trenches," Rose tells me.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Reposted by Brian Contreras
⚠️ Entrepreneurs: what's your insurance horror story? We’re looking for founders’ worst experiences, from unjustifiably high prices, to coverage that turned out to not cover key assets, to straight-up scams. Comment below or reach out to bcontreras 'at' inc 'dot' com! ⚠️
February 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
⚠️ Entrepreneurs: what's your insurance horror story? We’re looking for founders’ worst experiences, from unjustifiably high prices, to coverage that turned out to not cover key assets, to straight-up scams. Comment below or reach out to bcontreras 'at' inc 'dot' com! ⚠️
⚠️ Entrepreneurs: what's your insurance horror story? We’re looking for founders’ worst experiences, from unjustifiably high prices, to coverage that turned out to not cover key assets, to straight-up scams. Comment below or reach out to bcontreras 'at' inc 'dot' com! ⚠️
February 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
⚠️ Entrepreneurs: what's your insurance horror story? We’re looking for founders’ worst experiences, from unjustifiably high prices, to coverage that turned out to not cover key assets, to straight-up scams. Comment below or reach out to bcontreras 'at' inc 'dot' com! ⚠️
Feat. this massive nutcracker, face-down in a cardboard box, its head crushed under a Swedish leafblower.
January 31, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Feat. this massive nutcracker, face-down in a cardboard box, its head crushed under a Swedish leafblower.
What happened to that Christmas sweater you weren't vibing with after you returned it to the store? It might wind up in a massive warehouse on the outskirts of Atlanta, waiting for a new home.
New from me for @Inc: inside the holiday gift return economy.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
New from me for @Inc: inside the holiday gift return economy.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
How This ‘Recommerce’ Platform Turns Unsold Merch Into Revenue for Everyone From Amazon to Walmart
In the wake of the holidays, resale platform B-Stock is booming.
www.inc.com
January 31, 2025 at 8:04 PM
What happened to that Christmas sweater you weren't vibing with after you returned it to the store? It might wind up in a massive warehouse on the outskirts of Atlanta, waiting for a new home.
New from me for @Inc: inside the holiday gift return economy.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
New from me for @Inc: inside the holiday gift return economy.
www.inc.com/brian-contre...
Reposted by Brian Contreras
This is my first time in years experiencing a major local breaking news event from outside a newsroom, and it’s awful.
mattdpearce.substack.com/p/fires-and-...
mattdpearce.substack.com/p/fires-and-...
Fires and the facts
The breaking-news experience is awful for consumers.
mattdpearce.substack.com
January 8, 2025 at 9:23 PM
This is my first time in years experiencing a major local breaking news event from outside a newsroom, and it’s awful.
mattdpearce.substack.com/p/fires-and-...
mattdpearce.substack.com/p/fires-and-...