This post explores AI tools for research and creative work, highlights ChatGPT and Claude+Cursor, and envisions AI agents to streamline work management.

I started looking at the list of AI tools I have been using regularly, and the list includes what you might expect: ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Gamma, Gemini, Grok, Leonardo, Perplexity (alphabetically listed).

As I looked closer, two main categories of use emerged:

Categories of Use

  1. Research Work
  2. Creative Work

I also broke it down into sub-categories in each of these areas, and clear patterns emerged:

Research

  • Based on time sensitivity and factual accuracy.

Creative

  • Based on the type of task.

Observations

ChatGPT

  • My go-to for multi-modal work.
  • Love Canvas mode for collaborative editing.
  • When it comes to specialized work, it is more of a miss than a hit.
  • Don’t really toggle as much between 4.0, 4.5, o1, o3-mini models, etc.

Claude + Cursor Combo

  • Get instructions from Claude (e.g., for building the app).
  • Drop them in Cursor Agent mode.
  • Use the same models between both (e.g., Claude Sonnet 3.7).

Additional Observation

I’m craving a new category: AI Agents that can operate and manage across work streams or just help me manage work—my own PM assistant. There’s way too much context switching.


What are your AI tools, and what do you use them for?

#AIMusings

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