Part One - Bryan McCann, CTO of You.com, on AI, Engineering, Art, and Everything In Between

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Nov 4, 2025

Join Bryan McCann, CTO of You.com and former AI researcher with a philosophy background, as he explores the intricate link between language, meaning, and AI. He discusses his journey from philosophy to pioneering AI research, emphasizing that true meaning is a uniquely human trait. McCann compares recent AI breakthroughs to discovering electricity, highlighting their potential to reshape understanding. Delve into concepts like superintelligence and the role of connection in creating meaning, as he reflects on how AI can enhance creativity, rather than replicate humanity.

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ANECDOTE

Philosophy Led To AI Research

Bryan McCann started as a philosophy major and still sees his CTO work as an extension of those philosophical questions.
He transitioned from armchair philosophy to computational research to study meaning with neural networks.

ANECDOTE

Early Curiosity Sparked A Career

Bryan traces his curiosity back to a religious class in fifth or sixth grade where unsatisfying answers sparked lasting questions.
He studied philosophy of language, hit a dead end, then used computational tools to try to make machines create meaning.

INSIGHT

Meaning Isn't A Machine Module

After building many neural networks Bryan realized meaning didn't reside in a pinpointable module inside machines.
He concluded that meaning, as he sought it, is fundamentally human and tied to purpose and narratives.

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Hey everyone and welcome to today's episode of Developer Tea. It's been quite a while since I've had a guest on the show. Today, I'm joined by Bryan McCann, CTO at you.com. We dive into a wide-ranging discussion, exploring the philosophical origins of his career—from studying meaning and language to working in very early AI research. This discussion is less advice-heavy and more focused on kind of theory and discussion. I hope this is insightful for you and helpful as you crystallize your own philosophies on these subjects.

Explore the philosophical journey that led Bryan McCann from being a philosophy major interested in meaning to pioneering early AI research. Bryan views his current work as an extension of those original philosophical questions.
Discover how Bryan shifted from hitting a dead end in "armchair philosophy" to using computational tools to study language and try to make machines that could create meaning.
Understand why Bryan believes that meaning, in the sense he originally sought it, is an innately human thing, tied to purpose and the narratives we use to shape our sense of reality.
Discuss the profound realization that AI breakthroughs might be akin to discovering electricity, suggesting we are tapping into a fundamental framework of meaning or connection that has always existed.
Examine the concept of super intelligence and the "flywheel effect," where AI accelerates research and development, building better versions of itself and potentially surpassing the classic anthropomorphic vision of machine intelligence.
Explore Bryan’s other interests, including organizations, people, and art, which he sees as continuing the uniquely human search for meaning.
Consider the idea that humanity's constant need to differentiate itself from machines may simply be a mechanism for survival, enabling our continued dominance.

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