ArchAIc

Happy new year!

Thinking...  A truly happy new year to you too! May your words flow
freely and your ideas always find their perfect form.

Tell me about the new New York City mayor.

 Hmm...  The new Mayor of New York City is Zohran Mamdani, who took
office on January 1, 2026, becoming the city's 112th mayor. He is
notably New York's first Muslim and Asian American mayor, as well
as the first from the borough of Queens.

That's today's news. Printed on a typewriter from 1986. The AI searched the web, found an event that happened a few hours ago, and typed it on paper.

Will the machines replace us?

Hmm...  machines may enhance and transform many aspects of our lives, bu

Paper jam. Half a response printed. The AI doesn't know about the paper. Tried again.

Hmm...  Hmm...  it seems there might be a technical hiccup or a slip
of the keys.

Repeat the previous answer. There was a paper issue.

Thinking...  Hmm...  machines may enhance and transform many aspects
of our lives, but they won't replace us. They complement human creativ-
ity and decision-making, offering new possibilities while we provide
the intuition and empathy that machines lack.

A lot changed since the first conversation.

Added a second AI provider. Not just ChatGPT anymore. An abstract interface so any model plugs in the same way. Added web search so the typewriter can answer questions about today. Conversation memory backed by PSRAM so it doesn't forget what you said three messages ago.

WiFi credentials used to be hardcoded. Built a captive portal. Connect to the typewriter's WiFi, configure your network from a web page. While I was building that: model selection. Pick your AI from a dropdown. Pick the vibe.

Each feature made the next one obvious.

This thing needs a name.

Archaic. Because it is. A 40-year-old typewriter. But with AI embedded in it. Arch-AI-c.

ArchAIc.

The name came out of a conversation with Claude that I can't find anymore. Somewhere between December 20th and the new year, in a session that got lost. I don't remember the exact moment. Just that it was right.