For about 18 months now, I’ve been talking about ‘Agentic AI‘ – software that acts on your behalf. Yesterday, I stumbled upon Anthropic’s ‘Computer Use’ tool, which carries out instructions on your computer. It’s one of the first publicly available LLM-based AI agents interacting with computer interfaces like a human. Check out their two-minute video on this post.
For me, this marks the beginning of a new way of getting stuff done. Soon, one person will be able to do the work of 5 or 10.
Here’s how to thrive:
- Expect more sophisticated Agentic AI in the next 1-5 years. It’s like having a personal conductor, with your devices and software as the musicians. Imagine booking travel, filing expenses, or managing tasks without lifting a finger.
- Evolve how you work. Use generative tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Claude to brainstorm and curate ideas, then lean on agentic tools to get things done. (And yes, 40% of my workshop lead generation is now automated, but I’ll save the specifics for my workshop participants—sorry!)
- Listen actively. Those who thrive will be the ones who truly listen – to colleagues, to clients. Active listeners make better decisions and can solve complex, multifaceted problems that AI alone can’t handle.
- Know when to use the right tools. Understand when to turn to generative AI for ideas and when to hand off execution to the right agentic AI tool.
- Cultivate human connections. If your job is entirely behind a screen, it’s at risk. Find ways to add value in person. For example, if you’re in finance, collaborate with HR to run internal workshops to help others improve their skills. Being visible and hands-on makes you more valuable, especially during tough times.
I’ve been experimenting already. Sure, it’s clumsy and far from perfect. But today is the worst it’s ever going to be.
The last time I felt this kind of shift was discovering ChatGPT back in November 2022. There’s a part of me that finds it exciting. Another part feels nervous about the short and mid-term implications for many traditional office jobs.
It’s well worth your time to experiment. Head to Anthropic’s website for more.
Matt 😀