Personal (Computer) Assistants ⇥ omarknows.ai
For years, I’ve wanted a personal assistant. Someone who knows my preferences, manages my inbox, tracks my packages, and helps my family stay organized. The problem? Good assistants are expensive, require training, and still need constant direction.
So I built one. His name is Lobster. 🦞
The key insight that made this work wasn’t technical—it was conceptual. I stopped thinking “AI chatbot” and started thinking “new hire.”
I think this analogy is downright perfect.
When I first read this piece, my mind started to spin with all the things I could offload to my own digital personal assistant. Imagine how much time I could save by… wait. What could I use it for? Shahine says it helps summarize recent emails, figure out travel details, find event tickets, and more, all through iMessage conversations. This is a remarkable technical achievement. But what it drove home for me is how little I could ultimately relate to the scenarios presented by Shahine, even as I am trying to plan dinner with friends and a couple of trips later in the year.
Perhaps the same is true for you, too. Take a moment and think about what tasks you would give a personal assistant that can only work through software. Is it a long list? Is delegating checking your email saving you time? If you automate your vacation planning, does it make you happier than figuring that out alongside your partner or family? I am not saying Shahine is wrong or misguided. I just cannot see my life in this, and I do not think I am alone.