Stop using AI!
Not everything needs intelligence
Hey! Ankur here, and this is the 20th edition of Lazy AI — 5 mins of reading to help you stay ahead of the AI curve.
This one’s about a mistake I see smart people make all the time — including me, until recently.
You’re probably using AI where you don’t need to
A few weeks ago, I was setting up a workflow for my newsletter. Every time someone new subscribes, I wanted to send them a welcome email, tag them in my CRM, and add them to a specific list.
And I was considering building an AI agent for it.
(I know, I know.)
Then I realised, nothing about this task requires judgment. The steps don’t change. The inputs are predictable. There’s no ambiguity to navigate.
Why use Artificial Intelligence for something that doesn’t need intelligence?
That’s when I realised — most people have no mental model for when to use AI vs when to use automation. And without that model, you either overuse AI (expensive, slow, unpredictable) or underuse automation (doing repetitive things manually when a simple tool could do it while you sleep).
So what’s the actual difference?
Let me define both:
Automation is rule-based. If X happens, do Y.
It doesn’t think. Not does it adapt. It just executes the same steps, every time, without fail.AI is pattern-based. It handles ambiguity, reads context, and makes judgment calls. It can deal with situations it hasn’t seen before.
The easiest way to tell them apart: Can you write the task as an if-then flowchart today, without any gaps?
If yes — automate it. If the “then” requires reading a situation, understanding language, or making a call — that’s AI’s job.
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The one question that separates AI vs automation
Does this task require judgment?
That’s it. That’s the whole framework.
Here’s what “judgment” looks like in practice:
Reading an email and figuring out if it’s a complaint, a sales query, or just noise → judgment → AI
Sending that email to the right folder once it’s been categorised → no judgment → automation
Writing a first draft of a reply to that complaint → judgment → AI
Sending the approved reply at 9am → no judgment → automation
Reading a standard pdf file whose format is prescribed → no judgment → automation
But reading a set of files that have different formats → judgment → AI
See the pattern? AI handles the thinking. Automation handles the doing.
Why this distinction actually matters
Most AI tools are billed as magic. “Just let AI handle it.” But AI is slow, probabilistic, and costs money per use. Automation is fast, deterministic, and runs almost for free once it’s set up.
If you’re using ChatGPT to do something that a simple Zapier workflow could do — you’re paying for a chef to make instant noodles.
Zapier is a no-code automation tool that can help you build workflows for if-else statements. It also has provisions for embedding ChatGPT within the workflow if needed. But like I said, not all workflows need AI
The bigger thing to understand though, is that the best workflows combine both. Automation handles the trigger and the routing. AI handles the judgment step in the middle. Then automation picks it back up and executes.
A real example:
A new support ticket comes in → automation detects it and pulls it into your system → AI reads the ticket, categorises it, and drafts a reply → automation sends the reply and logs it.
Three steps. Two tools. Neither doing the other’s job.
So what does this mean for you?
Next time you’re about to “use AI” for something — pause for five seconds and ask: does this actually require judgment, or am I just pattern-matching to a tool I’ve heard of?
If it’s the latter, use Zapier (or any other automation tool). Save AI for the stuff that actually needs a brain.
You don’t need to be an engineer to talk AI. Subscribe to this newsletter — every other day, you’ll understand AI well enough to be the smartest person in the room at work.
Each issue is just 5 minutes — less than the time you spend doomscrolling before bed. Except, this actually moves your career forward. Join 8,000+ subscribers now!
If this got you thinking, please share it with someone who is using AI for everything — including things a simple rule could handle in two seconds.
It takes a lot of time to research and write this. Sharing would mean a lot 🙂
See you next time..
Cheers,
Ankur