Ethan Mollick has updated his annual guide to AI tools, shifting the focus from simple chat interfaces to agentic systems that can perform hours of human work in a single session. He notes that Google has dropped from his recommended list because Gemini lacks a stable entry in the specific categories for coding and collaborative work, while Gemini Spark has yet to demonstrate its capabilities. The current advice centres on downloading the dedicated desktop applications for OpenAI and Anthropic to access their most powerful modes. These are named ChatGPT Work, ChatGPT Codex, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code. The distinction lies in granting the software permission to interact directly with your local machine, a feature that mobile versions of the apps do not currently support. This approach allows the models to execute tasks that require file manipulation and internet access simultaneously without human intervention.
The practical impact is a move away from asking questions to delegating complex projects. Users who switch to these desktop modes can enable internet access for the Code Interpreter container, removing a significant restriction present in mobile versions. This change allows the models to function as true agents rather than just conversational assistants.
* Mobile app modes remain restricted to chat and limited file analysis
* Desktop apps offer full system access via Work, Codex, Cowork, or Code modes
* Google’s Gemini is currently excluded due to lack of equivalent category support
