I have been following the artificial intelligence industry with great attention since 2022. When ChatGPT and the GPT-3.5 model started to become popular, the world seemed much… simpler. At least in the context of AI-based tools. We simply had one application that handled everything that people seemed to need at that stage.
Today, four years later, progress is an obvious result of ongoing processes, but what some time ago seemed within the reach of rationally understood competence development is getting out of control. Just remembering the names of each new tool from one of the market leaders is a challenge, let alone mastering it.
Read also in BUSINESS INSIDER
Of course, no one requires anyone to figure out every specialized tool available on the market, but the inflation of solutions based on artificial intelligence is a real phenomenon… and a growing problem. Because it makes technology, which is already “overwhelming” for many people, becomes even more inaccessible than incomprehensible. In a situation where we are bombarded with information about new language models, generative models, world models, agents, autopilots, copilots, assistants, chats, bots, virtual helpers, agent systems and all the rest, it is difficult not to feel lost. From the perspective of an average employee who wants to stay “up to date” so as to be able to meet new market challenges, this is an extremely exhausting process.
The article continues below the video
In order not to remain untrue, let's take a look at a part of Microsoft's portfolio, which recently announced… Microsoft Scout. A special version of the AI agent, which will differ from previous solutions… in fact, it is not entirely clear what. But it is something new and, by implication, “exciting”, a in the artificial intelligence industry, which is still largely based on “positive vibe” (i.e. mainly emotions and “good energy”), this is a key thing. However, let's take a look at the mentioned list of Microsoft products. These currently include:
Microsoft Copilot
Copilot Pro
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft Copilot Studio
Microsoft Foundry
Azure AI (having several different versions)
Microsoft IQ
Microsoft Agent 365
GitHub Copilot
Microsoft Designer
Windows Recall
Microsoft Fabric
Microsoft Scout
…and several dozen different versions of Copilot dedicated to Word, Excel, Power BI and other services
We are only talking about solutions from one company. In addition, there is also Google, with its several dozen versions of agents, Gemini models and tools, OpenAI with an equally impressive list, Nvidia with literally hundreds of different variants of multimodal and language models, open environments and a whole host of other options. Anthropic, with its “only” few solutions – Claude Code, Claude Co-Work, Claude.ai, Dynamic Workflows, Claude Mythos, Claude Managed Agents and just a few model families (Opus, Sonnet and Haiku) looks extremely conservative in this company.
Many of these solutions intersect with each other, work in synergy, are dependent on each other in some way, but… this does not improve the situation at all. Especially when it is up to the person to decide which of the tools, environments or models should be chosen for a given task. Will Gemini Spark be a better solution this time? Or maybe I should run an agent for this in OpenClaw, which I will pair with the OpenAI API? But wouldn't it be better to use Nvidia NemoClaw to secure the internal systems a little better? On the other hand – previously, my company used Microsoft Foundry to create an environment for agents, and apparently the new Nvidia Nemotron 3 Ultra is great for building specialized agents faster… Or maybe not to mess around, but use Claude Code to write a new agent?
The failure of an unwanted harvest
You can go on and on, but although the average employee does not have to operate at such a high level of detail, even with a very general analysis, it turns out that there are plenty of options to choose from within individual product families. The nomenclature used is not very intuitive, it does not clearly communicate what it is used for and what it works best with and without following all the news very carefully – after just a few weeks we may have arrears that cannot be easily caught up.
The constant pressure that occurs at least in some professions is simply… tiring. The overstimulation resulting from the need not so much to use these tools, but to endlessly learn new ones that appear, is already slowly taking its toll… and we are only at the beginning of this “new era”. Self-development is a natural process for anyone who has greater professional ambitions, however For the first time in history, the number of “new products” is so alarming… and the time intervals between their appearance are so short. Which of them are worth learning and which are worth ignoring? Nobody knows that.
Those who want to opt out of this crazy race can of course do so, but they risk a lot. Stopping being competitive in today's job market can be a one-way ticket.
And not necessarily to a place where a drink with a palm is waiting for us.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
