Best AI Newsletters to Follow for News and Research 13 min read · Written by Mae R Davis · Updated · Inbox Zero.
The best AI newsletters right now are Ben’s Bites, The Neuron, Data Machina, Import AI, Last Week in AI, One Useful Thing, and eight more below, fourteen in total. Each one was checked this month to confirm it is still active, and each covers AI news, research, or practical tools for a specific kind of reader.
An AI newsletter is a recurring email that summarizes AI news, research, or tools for a specific audience. Some are written by journalists, some by researchers, and some by builders who use AI tools daily and report back on what worked.
This list was reviewed in September 2026. Every newsletter below was checked directly at its subscribe or archive page to confirm it is still publishing, and six newsletters that used to appear on lists like this one were dropped because they had gone quiet, moved to an unrelated topic, or their site no longer resolved.
Which AI newsletters cover daily AI news and tools?
These three send often and focus on what is happening in AI right now: model releases, new tools, and quick takes rather than long analysis.
Ben’s Bites
Ben’s Bites is a free newsletter with over 171,000 subscribers that covers AI agents, new tools, and product launches for people building with AI. It leans practical: short write ups aimed at what you could actually build or try, not just what was announced.
The Neuron
The Neuron is a free daily newsletter with over 700,000 subscribers covering major model releases, AI agent news, and industry stories in a quick, informal read.
AI Disruption
AI Disruption, written by journalist Alex McFarland, is a free newsletter with over 13,000 subscribers that focuses on applying AI to work and business rather than covering research.
Which AI newsletters focus on research?
These three are aimed at readers who want papers, technical developments, and policy, not just headlines.
Data Machina
Data Machina is a free weekly newsletter with over 21,000 subscribers that rounds up recent AI and machine learning research, projects, and code repositories.
Import AI
Import AI is written by Jack Clark, a former OpenAI policy director and cofounder of Anthropic. It is free with an optional paid tier, sends roughly weekly, and covers AI research papers, policy, and safety, usually with several papers summarized per issue plus a short piece of speculative fiction.
State of AI newsletter
Nathan Benaich’s newsletter, formerly called Guide to AI and now published as the State of AI newsletter, is free, sends monthly, and has over 32,000 subscribers. It covers AI technology, research, geopolitics, and startup activity.
Which AI newsletters give weekly roundups and analysis?
These four are built around a weekly cadence, summarizing what happened rather than breaking news in real time.
Last Week in AI
Last Week in AI is a free weekly newsletter with over 183,000 subscribers that publishes both text and audio summaries of the week's AI news, along with editorial commentary.
AI Tidbits
AI Tidbits is a free weekly newsletter offering visual, organized summaries and occasional deep dives on generative AI developments.
Machine Learnings
Machine Learnings, written by Sam DeBrule, is a free weekly newsletter with over 13,000 subscribers that covers AI and machine learning news from the perspective of someone building AI products.
What’s AI Newsletter
Louis-François Bouchard’s newsletter, previously listed under the name AI Weekly Digest, now publishes as the What’s AI Newsletter. It is free, has over 23,000 subscribers, and covers practical AI explainers drawn from client work, guides, and courses.
Which AI newsletters cover ethics, research translation, and business impact?
These four spend more time on what AI developments mean, for society, for work, or for a business, than on cataloguing every release.
The Road to AI We Can Trust
Scientist Gary Marcus writes The Road to AI We Can Trust, a newsletter with over 118,000 subscribers that is free with an optional paid tier. It offers critical commentary on AI capabilities, hype, and policy, and is a useful counterweight to more promotional coverage.
One Useful Thing
Professor Ethan Mollick’s One Useful Thing has over 478,000 subscribers and translates academic AI research into practical implications for work and education.
Fortune: Eye on AI
Eye on AI is Fortune magazine's weekly newsletter examining how AI and machine learning are affecting business and society, aimed at readers who want industry analysis rather than technical detail.
TopBots Applied AI
TopBots Applied AI is a free biweekly newsletter aimed at enterprise leaders, covering applied AI and machine learning news, funding deals, and startups.
How do these fourteen AI newsletters compare?
| Newsletter | Focus | Frequency | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben’s Bites | AI tools and agents | Frequent | bensbites.com |
| The Neuron | AI news and tools | Daily | theneurondaily.com |
| AI Disruption | Applied AI for work | Frequent | alexmcfarland.substack.com |
| Data Machina | AI/ML research | Weekly | datamachina.substack.com |
| Import AI | Research, policy, safety | Weekly | jack-clark.net |
| State of AI newsletter | Research, geopolitics, startups | Monthly | nathanbenaich.substack.com |
| Last Week in AI | Weekly news roundup | Weekly | lastweekin.ai |
| AI Tidbits | Visual weekly summaries | Weekly | aitidbits.ai |
| Machine Learnings | Builder's perspective | Weekly | machinelearningsco.substack.com |
| What’s AI Newsletter | Practical AI explainers | Regular | louisbouchard.substack.com |
| The Road to AI We Can Trust | AI critique and policy | Regular | garymarcus.substack.com |
| One Useful Thing | AI for work and education | Regular | oneusefulthing.org |
| Fortune: Eye on AI | Business and industry | Weekly | fortune.com |
| TopBots Applied AI | Enterprise applied AI | Biweekly | topbots.com |
How Email Monster fits
If you subscribe to several of these newsletters, they tend to pile up in one inbox. Email Monster gives you unlimited aliases on your own personal subdomain, so you can use a different address for each newsletter and see at a glance where each email is coming from. The free plan covers 40 emails a month, and Premium is $6.99 a year or $2.99 a month. Its newsletter digest feature can also consolidate multiple newsletters, including several from this list, into a single weekly email instead of fourteen separate ones.