I Think I’m Dependent on AI

I think I’ve become dependent on AI.

And saying that out loud makes me pause.

There are enough things flowing through my day now, with agents handling little tasks in the background, that I honestly don’t think I’d want to go back.

The repetitive stuff. The menial tasks. The things that need to happen but don’t need to take up so much of my attention.

It saves me time. It also takes stress off my plate. Fewer little things to remember, fewer tasks hanging over me, and more room to focus on what I actually want to be doing.

Take all of that away tomorrow and I would feel it.

That sounds like dependency. Maybe it is.

But I’ve been pretty deliberate about one part of this: I want to be able to change the tools.

I’ve rebuilt the same workflows using different platforms. Different models. Different ways of getting to the same result. I’ve actually made those switches, because I don’t want my entire day tied to one company’s decisions.

I’m comfortable changing which AI I use. Giving up the help altogether? That’s a much harder sell.

The closest comparison I can think of is maps.

I can probably still open an atlas and figure out where I’m going. Give me a little time and I’ll work it out. Maybe a little more time to fold the map back up.

But I use Google Maps or Apple Maps because they make that part of my life easier. If I change apps, I still expect navigation to be there.

That’s where I think I am with AI.

I’ve built these tools into the way I work, and I’ve gotten used to having that support.

Being able to switch platforms doesn’t answer every question, though. It doesn’t tell me how well I’d handle a day without any of them.

Can I still explain the process? Spot a bad result? Step in when something breaks?

I want those answers to stay yes.

I don’t think wanting less busywork is a bad thing. I do think it’s worth noticing when a useful tool becomes something you count on.

So I’m noticing.

Have you reached that point with AI? And what other technology have you become so used to that you’d really struggle to give it up?

GPS? Your calendar? Something you barely even think about anymore?