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Comment by margorczynski

13 hours ago

Can you give some examples? I'm evaluating where/how I could use stuff like this.

Literally everything from generic coding agent to shopping.

I run it in a MacOS vm, fwiw, for certain tasks. I usually hand it a repo and say “install all build dependencies” and it’ll click through installation GUIs where necessary. I wonder if the TOS of an application is enforceable if a bot agreed and a human never saw it.

It can UI test web apps if that’s part of your job, but it can also just use the browser for tasks. I’ve had it research flights by checking different dates automatically and compiling the results for me. I’ve heard others use it to handle building a shopping cart for instacart/grocery delivery.

Probably the hero usecase for most people would be app/web development. It can control either a browser or a device simulator and can iteratively build and test the application, by clicking real buttons.

  • > Literally everything from generic coding agent to shopping.

    People need help with shopping now?

    • I can probably live most of my life without the transistor being invented, but it’s certainly better with new technology.

      “Needs help” is an unnecessary and negative framing, don’t be a hater. We can basically always do what AI does (if not computers at large!), but either it’ll take longer or be boring.

      With AI you can automate checking way more price comparisons than manually, with way less effort. With AI you can automate routine shopping tasks like converting a shopping list into an online shopping cart. I can search for specific products across dozens of sites manually, or I can ask AI to find it for me.

    • ooh, chatGPT is really good in filtering bullshit and recommending the products that really fit.

      For serious stuff, is part of the shopping flow.

I upgraded my workflow a few months ago from "copy-paste things in and out of ChatGPT" to "use an agent that edits my project files and runs tests on its own" and the ergonomics are just so much better and enables automating bigger tasks. I still monitor everything it does and do manual adjustments so I feel ownership of the code.

  • But isn't that use-case solved a harness like OpenCode or Codex? OpenClaw and Hermes are a bit different beast although they can also be used for development in a more holistic manner (e.g. automated GUI testing).

    I'm just wondering about other uses where such a system would be useful aside from asking it via Signal or WA for the weather.

    • Right. I'm also curious about those use cases. I don't want an AI clicking through my mailbox.