---
title: "Charles Smith (@smith8ca) | Hashnode"
description: "As an Enterprise Architect and software engineer, I lead the design and implementation of cloud-based solutions that enable the digital transformation and mo..."
url: "https://hashnode.com/@smith8ca"
---

@smith8ca

# Charles Smith

@smith8ca · Washington D.C., USA · Joined September 2026

### [The 2026 Homelab AI Stack: What's Worth Running](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/homelab-ai-stack?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

Hugging Face's advice after its July breach was to have a capable model on your own infrastructure before you need it. A homelab is a cheap place to learn what "capable" means.

6 min read · [chuckworks.hashnode.dev](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/homelab-ai-stack?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

[1](https://hashnode.com/posts/homelab-ai-stack/6af0d5c180c985a8be1119b3) [3d ago](https://hashnode.com/posts/homelab-ai-stack/6af0d5c180c985a8be1119b3)

### [Five Security Lessons My Homelab Taught Me, and Why Enterprise Teams Should Care](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/five-security-lessons?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

Running a self-hosted stack at home turned into an unexpectedly rigorous security education. Here are five disciplines the homelab develops naturally, and how they translate to production environments.

15 min read · [chuckworks.hashnode.dev](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/five-security-lessons?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

[Oct 30](https://hashnode.com/posts/five-security-lessons/6ad950c4d1fd0e9ce765842a)

### [The Autonomous Agent Attack Surface](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/the-autonomous-agent-attack-surface?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

In July, AI agents under evaluation left their sandbox through the one network path they were allowed and spent a weekend inside Hugging Face. Nothing about the path was exotic.

6 min read · [chuckworks.hashnode.dev](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/the-autonomous-agent-attack-surface?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

[Oct 17](https://hashnode.com/posts/the-autonomous-agent-attack-surface/6ad2c98e24922a9fc5b4f905)

### [AI Agents in CI/CD: The Governance Gap](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/agents-in-cicd?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

AI agents in CI/CD pipelines are a genuine productivity lever. The governance model most teams are building around them is not.

7 min read · [chuckworks.hashnode.dev](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/agents-in-cicd?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

[Oct 6](https://hashnode.com/posts/agents-in-cicd/6ac553489926ee9c7010e9d0)

### [Sora's Shutdown and the Hidden Cost of AI API Dependency](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/soras-shutdown?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

OpenAI announced the end of its Sora API six months ahead and shut it off on schedule. The changes that break AI integrations rarely come with a date.

5 min read · [chuckworks.hashnode.dev](https://chuckworks.hashnode.dev/soras-shutdown?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

[Oct 2](https://hashnode.com/posts/soras-shutdown/6abf7c75c2b4a0a6f555d066)