Chapter 13: How People Use AI Today

People use AI in three main ways: automation, augmentation, and agency. Each represents a different level of human involvement and AI capability.

Understanding these categories helps you choose the right role for AI in your work, learning, and everyday life.

Automation is when AI performs repetitive or structured tasks for you. The human provides the instructions, and the AI completes the work.

Examples include:

• Summarizing long documents or email threads
• Drafting first versions of reports, essays, or marketing copy
• Cleaning or categorizing large datasets
• Auto-generating meeting notes or task lists
• Responding to common customer service questions

Automation improves efficiency, reduces manual effort, and speeds up workflows. But the outputs still require a human review to ensure accuracy and quality.

Augmentation is when AI works with you as a collaborator — enhancing your abilities, creativity, and decision-making. You stay in control, and AI acts as a partner.

Examples include:

• Brainstorming ideas or generating variations
• Research assistance or identifying patterns you may have missed
• Co-writing, editing, or translating text
• Collaborating on designs, layouts, or prototypes
• Coding assistance: generating functions, debugging, or explaining code

Augmentation does not replace human thinking — it amplifies it. You provide judgment, direction, and context; AI provides speed, suggestions, and breadth.

Agency occurs when AI takes autonomous actions to achieve a goal, with minimal or no human intervention. AI systems in this mode can perform multi-step processes, make decisions, and adapt to changing conditions.

Examples include:

• AI agents that search, analyze information, and complete tasks across multiple apps
• Self-driving cars responding to road conditions
• Automated trading systems executing strategies in real time
• Smart home systems adjusting temperature, lighting, and security
• Productivity agents that manage your inbox, schedule, or workflows

While agency brings powerful automation, it also introduces more risk. Unexpected behavior can lead to financial loss, safety concerns, or errors at scale. Guardrails and oversight are essential.

Different tasks call for different levels of AI involvement. A simple rule of thumb:

• Use automation when the task is repeatable, well-defined, and easy to verify.
• Use augmentation when you want more creativity, speed, or support — but still want to guide the process.
• Use agency when AI can reliably execute a multi-step workflow with clear constraints and monitoring.

The best AI users shift between these modes depending on the situation, always keeping human oversight in mind.

AI can support you in three powerful ways: by automating tasks, amplifying your abilities, or acting on your behalf. The key is understanding when each mode is appropriate.

Automation saves time. Augmentation enhances creativity and insight. Agency enables complex, autonomous workflows — but requires responsible use.