Nathan Drescher

AI has its uses. I've met some brilliant founders building cool AI tools right here in Canada. But it sucks for managing thoughts, organizing a day or for bouncing ideas around. The smartest tech is still no tech at all.

8️⃣
I shut everything down and opened my notebook and wrote with an actual pen. I used the iPhone voice recorder for quick thoughts.

And I felt I could breathe for the first time in months.

7️⃣
I tried every model. Claude. Gemini. Copilot. Even LeChat.

Same result: nonsense.
The only one that made sense was, surprisingly, Grok.

“Yo Nate, bro, don’t sweat it. Just eat some lunch and enjoy the day.”

That’s exactly what I did.

6️⃣
I finally asked ChatGPT to help plan my day:

– Cover SaaS North
– File a feature
– Squeeze in lunch
– Take public transit in freezing Ottawa weather

It told me to eat lunch and interview someone on the O-Train.

4️⃣
LLMs depend entirely on prompting.
You have to spell out every single thing, in detail, or you’ll get garbage back. They don’t understand context, tone, or what you meant. You’re basically project-managing a toddler with internet access.

3️⃣
I started using these tools in 2023 to help organize my solo journalism business. I thought they’d make me more productive. Instead they made me anxious, scattered, and constantly second-guessing.

It was like having an intern who talks too much and knows nothing.

2️⃣
We’re told ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and the rest will simplify our lives. They don’t. They overcomplicate everything.

AI adds new layers of friction to things that were already stressful.

1️⃣
Would you like me to map out a 34-point plan to help you grocery shop tonight?

I can do that for you.

Oh, you just wanted a cheese omelette recipe?

Cool. Don’t forget to include two dead puppies.

That’s how it feels using AI lately.

I told ChatGPT to plan my day and it suggested I eat lunch and conduct an interview at the same time...on the train.

Here's how ditching AI made me feel less anxious (a thread):

Sitting in a breakout talk about human-centred AI. Some interesting ideas here and I can’t believe I never heard of Granola AI 🤷🏼‍♂️

SaaS North is happening right now here in #ottawa showcasing the best software coming out of Canada today.

I haven’t been to the Chateau in years and forgot how beautiful it is!

Deputy Minister of the Treasury Board Secretariat and the federal government’s CIO Dominic Rochon speaks about adopting AI in the federal service with G7 partners.

Kareem Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, speaks about the state of Canada’s innovation economy

I’m here at the Tech7 Summit at the beautiful Chateau Laurier in Ottawa.

The summit explores how G7 nations are utilizing emerging technologies in their governments and societies.

Newsom 2028!

Swagger: What is it and should Ottawa’s tech community have it? Some observers would say that Ottawa's tech community has lost its “swagger.” Depending on who you talk to, that can be a good thing or a bad thing.

Where is Ottawa’s tech swagger? I investigate in my latest with Ottawa Business Journal #ottawa

obj.ca/should-ottaw...

I’m currently digging up all the Canadian-made AND Canadian-owned digital service companies to help you replace your American apps.

It’s a bit of a grind ngl

Sneak peek: RedMagic 11 Pro XL!

‘Rough’ and ‘wild’ Ottawa a hit with visitors increasingly interested in ‘dark tourism’ It’s been a solid season for The Haunted Walk, which offers ghost tours and paranormal investigations at some of Ottawa’s most haunted locations.

Ottawa has a spooky history and people are discovering it!
obj.ca/rough-wild-o...

Pfff I spat out my coffee at "...if you didn't cut the crusts off their sandwiches." 😂😅😂

The Drescher Drop The Drescher Drop is a newsletter that explains how Canadian innovation is reshaping the nation’s future in technology, business, and culture.

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Just two dudes with no power in Canada.

Dave shoulda learned some prompts!

The Drescher Drop The Drescher Drop is a newsletter that explains how Canadian innovation is reshaping the nation’s future in technology, business, and culture.

Think of it as exclusive context from someone who has driven the country three times and is focused only on getting the real story.

It's free. Join the drop: drescherdrop.beehiiv.com

#CdnTech #Exclusive #TechPolicy #Journalism

My newsletter is not another tech roundup.

I'm Canada's award-winning tech journalist, and The Drescher Drop is my weekly dive into the stories everyone else misses, from the policy failures, the disruptive startups, and the national security issues we need to be talking about.

When you hear people talk about housing and transit, remember this: Experts now call them national security issues. You can't retain AI talent if you can't house them. No talent = No innovation = No sovereignty. Read the full debut of The Drescher Drop

#CdnTech #AI #DigitalSovereignty

NATO offers our startups clear runways to success (the DIANA accelerator). Canada offers them 1,000-page certification manuals. This procurement gridlock actively forces our best innovators to the sidelines and ensures we are dependent on multinational platforms.

Canada's missing AI guardrails The missing rules crippling Canada's bid for data sovereignty

Canada has a critical problem: We are handing our AI national security over to foreign tech giants. Why? Because we’re too bureaucratic to let Canadian startups help. The system is fundamentally broken.

drescherdrop.beehiiv.com/p/canada-s-m...

👇 A quick thread on the core failure:

I am not all that blown away by iOS 26 and MacOS 26. It is not “revolutionary” and actually rather boring.

I remain convinced any reviewer crowing about this update is a paid corporate shill.