Millwright
I build software that uses AI, and I explain how it works to the people who have to make decisions about it.
I’m Charles Max Wood. I have spent two decades writing software, and a good chunk of that interviewing the people who write it, which turns out to be decent training for explaining hard technical things to people who do not do this for a living. Building and explaining are the same job to me, and this is where both of them live.
Building with AI
I work with engineering teams putting AI into real products, and with small businesses that want AI doing actual work in their operations. Sometimes that means architecture and writing code. Sometimes it means picking the right off the shelf tools and wiring them together properly. If you have something you are trying to get working, let's talk about it.
Utah's new AI laws
Utah passed nine AI bills in the 2026 session, covering schools, health care, deepfakes, companion chatbots, and age verification. If you use AI in any of those areas, someone has to work out what your systems actually do and where that lines up with the statutes. I am not a lawyer. This is the technical half of that question.
AI and public policy
Most people writing AI legislation are working from headlines, and most people who understand the technology are not in the room. I write about how these systems actually function, in plain language, for anyone who has to make decisions about them.
I have been building software for over 20 years and hosting podcasts for developers for 18 of them, across 25 shows and more than 4,600 episodes. I am also vice chair of the Utah County Republican Party.