How I actually use AI tools (and why I stopped using one tool for everything)

Until some time early last year, ChatGPT was my answer to everything. Ask it, get something, move on.

Then I started paying attention to where it kept falling short — and I realized I was using a screwdriver for everything, including the nails.

Nearly 30 years in tech will do that to you. You start noticing the tool, not just the output.

Here’s what I actually use now:

• ? Claude — thinking partner, strategy, decisions, anything that needs real context. My main.
• ? Perplexity — web search with citations. When I need current info I can actually verify.
• ? Grok — pulse on X. What people are saying right now, not what the algorithm wants me to see.
• ? Gemini — shopping, flights, anything Google-native. It just works better there.
• ? DeepSeek — fast, cheap, surprisingly sharp on coding one-offs.
• ? Ollama (Qwen2.5 14B, local) — runs on my own hardware. For anything that doesn’t leave the house.

The shortcut I use:

• What’s happening? ? Perplexity
• What are people saying? ? Grok
• What do I do about it? ? Claude
• Quick code? ? DeepSeek
• Can’t send it to the cloud? ? Ollama

Still iterating. In the world we’re now in, it’s not optional — and, really, I don’t mind.