The Vergecast · Friday, October 2, 2026
A discussion arises on whether people can effectively utilize AI agents, with one perspective suggesting a cultural divide. New York Times columnist Trustee McMillan Cotton posits that understanding oneself as a series of tasks is crucial to grasping an agent's utility. This 'task-based thinking' might be a barrier for some, impacting their adoption of AI tools.
“Trustee McMillan Cotton, who's a New York Times columnist, said a long thread on Blue Sky about how the problem with consumer agents is literally cultural. You have to understand yourself as a series of tasks in order to understand what an agent could do for you. And that like there's a cultural divide in America that will prevent some people from ever seeing that.”