An investigation into why serious AI work depends less on clever prompts and more on defending invariants, boundaries, and human judgment.

At the end of a long, technical AI session this week, something became clear to me: human-in-the-loop is being misunderstood in ways that matter.

The issue wasn’t whether the system could generate outputs quickly

Kennedy Idea Propulsion Laboratory logo

In 1980, I wrote a senior thesis paper called “Imagination: A Romantic Ideal.” My investigation then was a critique of the German and English Romantics who, in their zeal to undo the “damage” of Enlightenment Reason, merely erected a new idol: The Imagination.

Through a concrete analysis of Keats and Poe, I discovered a truth

Retiring the Scoreboard: Why I’m Done Counting Books

For many years, I ran a 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge on my blog, usually as my first blog post of the year, which I updated each month. It was an annual public commitment, a visible signal of intellectual seriousness, and a helpful forcing function. I

I launched Personal Strategy Compass as a premium newsletter a year ago. The decision made sense on paper: quality content, established expertise, proven frameworks. But something never quite felt settled.

Not wrong, exactly. Just… misaligned.

Then I drew an Oblique Strategies card during my own quarterly planning: “Honor thy error as a hidden intention.”

If

Why Your 2026 Career Security Depends on Your December Energy Audit

As the legal market approaches the end of 2025, a pervasive, quiet anxiety has taken hold. Between the “spreadsheet economics” of law firm layoffs and the looming shadow of 2026, many senior professionals are responding with a predictable, yet dangerous, reflex.

They are working


test


For ambitious professionals, saying “no” is a celebrated strategic act. We use the “Strategic No” to reclaim our time, prune our commitments, and simplify our lives. It’s a powerful feeling of control and liberation.

But what about the day after?

What happens when the relief of a clear calendar fades and you’re left with a

Reclaim Your Focus with the Strategic No

Are you a high-achieving professional feeling the quiet hum of overwhelm? Do you suspect you’re ahead of your organization, sensing a career pivot on the horizon, but find yourself trapped by commitments that no longer ignite your passion? If so, you’re not alone. And I have a powerful

Kennedy Idea Propulsion Laboratory logo

This paper has been published and and a PDF of it is available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5397903

The Operational Protocol Method: Systematic LLM Specialization Through Collaborative Persona Engineering and Agent Coordination

By Dennis Kennedy
August 19, 2025
Kennedy Idea Propulsion Laboratory Working Paper No. 2025-01

License: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

After a truly rewarding run, I am concluding my service as the Director of the Center for Law, Technology & Innovation at Michigan State University College of Law.

It has been an immense privilege to work with so many brilliant students, dedicated faculty, and professional colleagues. I am incredibly proud of what we built together