May 2, 2026
Filing Sucks
(PRE-S: Mark your calendar! I’m running a small live workshop on May 8th called Mine Yourself, where we’ll turn your back catalog of podcasts, webinars, talks, and other content into a working library you can pull books, courses, and frameworks out of. Space is limited. Apply Now »)
Recently, I’ve been experimenting with lots of different AI tools in parallel:
- OpenClaw
- ChatGPT Chat
- ChatGPT Projects
- Codex (OpenAI’s Coding Agent)
- Claude Chat
- Claude Code
- Claude Cowork
- Claude Projects
- Various OpenAI APIs
- ...and even internal AI tools in Descript and Riverside
I have dozens of observations about the various pros and cons of each of these tools, but the thing I want to point out today is this:
The difference between an AI that can manipulate files and one that can’t is enormous.
Once you get used to an agent that can reliably create and update documents for you, going back to one that can’t feels like having your hands tied behind your back.
It’s like going back to dial-up internet after getting used to high-speed broadband.
This observation reinforces my belief that agents will eventually be the main way most people compute most of the time.
Traditional application GUIs will still be useful for specialized applications, but everyone else will just chat with their AI.
You might be asking:
Okay, fine. But when’s it going to happen?
When it comes to tech predictions, I always think they’ll proliferate faster than they actually do.
For example, I recall saying that 2013 would be the year when everyone started paying with their phones in physical stores.
LOL NOPE!
I was off by at least ten years.
So...
Don’t ask me when Star Trek-style computing will be commonplace, but I’d bet good money that that’s the direction things are going.
If this change is the kind of thing that might affect your consulting business, it’s probably worth keeping an eye on the trends to get your own sense of the velocity and to stay ahead of the curve if/when you see it coming.
Yours,
–J