AI gains may come more from redesigning work than visible automation
This Reddit post argues that many firms focus on the easy-to-see uses of AI. The bigger edge may come from changing hidden work processes that competitors cannot copy quickly.
The main idea is that adding AI to obvious tasks may not create a lasting advantage. Things like faster reports, meeting notes, or simple content drafts are visible and easy for others to copy.
The post points instead to work that is harder to see from the outside, such as how teams organize information, make decisions, and pass knowledge around. That matters for AI agents and cost control too. If the work is clearer before AI touches it, the agent needs fewer steps, less repeated prompting, and fewer tokens.
Key points
- This is an opinion post, not a product launch or research paper.
- The post claims visible AI automation is easy for rivals to copy.
- The stronger advantage may come from redesigning hidden internal workflows.
- For AI agents, clearer workflows can mean fewer mistakes and fewer repeated calls.
- Reducing unnecessary input can also reduce token use and cost.
Quick term guide
- competitors
- Other businesses making similar products for the same customers.
- AI agents
- AI agents are AI tools that can carry out steps toward a goal, not just answer once.
- AI agent
- An AI program that can inspect information and suggest what to do next.
- agents
- AI helpers that follow your instructions and make changes for you.
- prompting
- Writing instructions or questions to an AI to get a response.
- tokens
- Tokens are small pieces of text that AI systems count when reading or writing.
- automation
- A way to make repeated work happen without doing every step by hand.
- workflow
- A repeatable set of steps for getting a task done.