The tech cycle keeps turning—covering beige PCs to the early web, from must-have apps to autonomous hype—and now a surge of AI. Together, we examine what actually works: a human-in-the-loop approach that shifts AI from just spraying out content to becoming a disciplined helper. I share my real workflow with multiple models and editors, how I verify sources and citations, and why reading, revising, and pushing back always beat copy-paste. If you’ve noticed that nagging “polished but shallow” tone in AI output, you’re not imagining it; here’s how to improve it.