GUIDES
The 2026 AI Halftime Report 📚
AI changed more in six months than in the five years before it. Here are the three shifts that matter, a quick audit to see where you stand, and three.
We are halfway through 2026. If you are using AI the same way you were in January, you are already behind, and this is the fastest way to catch up.
Below are the three shifts that actually changed the game, a two-minute audit so you know where you stand, and what I would get ready for next.
Chatbots Became Agents
The smartest AI users stopped asking AI questions. They started building agents, workflows, and loops that run while they sleep. The unit of work went from a single answer to a whole job done on its own.
The move: build one small agent that does a real task start to finish. Not sure where to start? My how I build AI agents guide walks it.
Prompting Became Setup
A year ago the skill was writing the perfect prompt. Now it is giving AI the right context and setup so you can hand off the whole job. The win moved from the words you type to the environment you build around the model.
The move: stop starting from a blank box. Save reusable context, and trim what you already have with my Context Cleanup Checklist.
It Is Not ChatGPT vs Claude
The best AI users do not have a favorite model anymore. They use the best model for the job, switching between Claude and ChatGPT depending on the task.
The move: learn which model wins at what. My best model for the task cheat sheet makes it a lookup.
Score Yourself
Three honest questions. Every no is your next move.
- Have you built at least one agent or workflow that runs without you? (No means start with shift one.)
- Do you keep reusable context and setups, or start every task from a blank box? (Shift two.)
- Do you pick your model by the job, or default to the same one every time? (Shift three.)
My 3 Predictions For H2
- Talking takes over typing. We will just talk to AI and show it our screen. Get ready: start dictating now with Wispr Flow.
- Agents go mainstream. More than half of professionals will have at least one agent working for them daily. Get ready: build your first this month.
- Every company over 20 people hires someone to manage its AI systems. Get ready: quietly become that person on your team.
Catching up from zero? Start with Getting Started With AI, then run my 7-Day AI Starter.
The real unlock of AI agents is not full autonomy, but human-in-the-loop systems design. Structure your agent inputs with explicit constraints, negative prompts, and automated test checkpoints. When building tools, keep token consumption lean by caching system prompts and isolating tasks into specialized sub-agents.