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Sponsor Slow AI

Reach educators, researchers, policymakers, and enterprise leaders who think critically about AI.

Slow AI is a Substack newsletter and curriculum for critical AI literacy. It is read by people who make decisions about how AI is adopted in their organisations: university leaders, HR directors, policymakers, and enterprise professionals.

This audience does not skim. They read the full post, engage in the comments, and act on what they learn. Posts average 15+ comments and the newsletter publishes 2 to 3 times per week. Sponsoring Slow AI puts your product in front of people who are actively shaping AI policy and practice in their institutions.

We are selective about who we work with. If your product aligns with critical thinking, education, or responsible AI adoption, read on.

Audience

22,000+

subscribers

27%

average open rate

9,000+

average opens per issue

Who reads Slow AI

  • Government: UK Government Office for Science, Ofqual, DSTL
  • Policy: RAND Corporation, World Bank, ITC-ILO
  • Universities: Oxford (inc. Blavatnik School of Government), Williams College, Royal College of Art
  • Nonprofits: Mozilla Foundation, National Literacy Trust
  • Enterprise: Visa, Accenture, EY, KPMG, PwC, JPMorgan, Nike, Shell
  • Roles: Heads of People, CTOs, university professors, programme directors, data privacy leads, L&D managers
  • Reach: Peaked at #2 rising in Education on Substack. Substack Bestseller.

Subscriber data from May 2026. Institutional affiliations verified by email domain. Open rate is the average across 121 free posts.

Formats and pricing

Primary sponsor

£300 per issue

Your logo and a 75-word description at the top of the post, above the fold. One primary sponsor per issue. Your placement is introduced by me in a sentence that connects it to the post topic. No generic ad copy.

Estimated reach: 9,000+ opens per issue on average. Top posts reach 16,000+.

Resource feature

£100 per issue

A 40-word mention in a dedicated resources section within the post. Up to two resource features per issue. Best for tools, books, courses, and events that are directly relevant to the audience.

4-issue package

£1,000

Four primary sponsor placements across four issues. Save £200. I will work with you to match each placement to the most relevant post topic. Payment upfront, placements scheduled across 4 to 8 weeks.

What you get

  • Placement written or edited by me to match the post voice (no jarring ad copy)
  • A direct link to your chosen landing page
  • Post-campaign summary: opens, approximate reach, and any reader feedback

What we do not offer

  • Click-through guarantees. This audience reads carefully and converts on quality, not volume. If you need guaranteed clicks, this is not the right placement.
  • Editorial control. I write or edit the copy to match the newsletter voice. You approve before publication, but the tone stays consistent.
  • Data sharing. I do not share subscriber lists, email addresses, or engagement data beyond aggregate metrics.

Editorial policy

Slow AI exists to build critical AI literacy. Every sponsorship must be consistent with that mission. This is not negotiable.

We work with

  • EdTech platforms that prioritise learning over surveillance
  • Professional development and training providers
  • Conference and event organisers in education, AI, or ethics
  • Academic and trade publishers
  • AI governance, compliance, and risk tools
  • Data privacy and security products
  • Research funding bodies and grant programmes
  • Nonprofits and social enterprises aligned with education or responsible AI
  • Tools and services that treat AI as a complement to human judgement

We do not work with

  • Prompt engineering courses or "get rich with AI" products
  • Tools that position AI as a replacement for human thinking
  • Companies with documented records of poor AI ethics
  • Productivity tools that contradict the Slow AI philosophy
  • Crypto, Web3, or gambling products
  • Any product I would not recommend to my own students

If you are unsure whether your product is a fit, get in touch. I would rather have an honest conversation than waste either of our time.

What readers say

"You’re one of the few creators on here that actually makes me think. Not skim. Not nod along. Think."

Nick, paid subscriber

"The Slow AI is one of the few AI newsletters that rejects hype and false urgency. It prioritizes clear thinking about what systems actually do, where risk sits, and why capability is not agency. If you want rigor over hot takes, it is worth your time."

Forge Signals

"This perspective directly supports my work with people and organisations by helping me articulate blind spots, assumptions, and decision-making dynamics."

Jukka, paid subscriber

Get in touch

Tell me about your product and why it fits this audience. No minimum commitment. Open to cross-promotion with aligned publications. I will respond within 48 hours.

sam.illingworth@gmail.com