Agent Watch · Helping knowledge workers decide what AI should do and what stays human.

AI can now do real work. What should it do, and what stays yours?

A free, independent guide for people who work with words, numbers and decisions. See which AI tools can actually do the work, what each costs, and the parts that should stay in your hands. Every fact is sourced and dated, and it is updated weekly.

The practical guide to AI for knowledge workers, not model news. Every tool sits on the same seven-layer map, and every page tells you how much work AI carries and what stays yours. See the map →

Read the guide: how much should AI do?Recommended stacks by role Get the weekly email →

Updated 2026-10-17 · 11 tools · Every fact sourced and dated · Independent of every vendor

Why this exists

AI tools can now do real work. Most people still just chat.

That's the AI gap: from asking a chatbot to handing AI real work.

Four views of AI · same moment

6BBarely touched it
1–2BFree chatbot · “A better Google.”
20MPro coders: AI does months of work in hours
5KLab insiders: AI that discovers new science

After Andrej Karpathy, 11 Oct 2026

How to cross it

The 7 layers are the map of any AI tool: the AI behind it, how it works with you, what it connects to, what it knows how to do, the app you open, how much it does on its own, and what stays your call.

Assist, Augment and Adapt say how much of the work AI carries:

AssistHelps you think, you decide
AugmentDoes steps, you check
AdaptWorks within your rules, you can stop it

And every page ends the same way: What stays yours. The decisions you keep, in one plain line.

From

“A better Google.”

“This does part of my job, and I know which part stays mine.”

Helping knowledge workers decide what AI should do and what stays human.

Read the guide →Stacks by role →The 7-layer map →Try Craft

This week in AI work tools

What changed

All changes →

2026-10-15Claude Code
Code Review left research preview and is generally available for Claude Team and Enterprise. It reviews GitHub pull requests automatically, posts severity-ranked findings, and does not approve or block merges.
For teams that already hand coding agents real work, review can run on every PR while the merge decision stays human. Most knowledge workers won't use this directly — it's a signal of how far agents have gone for coders.
2026-10-08Claude (chat app)
Claude Docs, Slides, and Design left beta and are available on every Claude plan, including Free. Teams can co-edit the same doc, deck, or design with Claude.
You can draft a brief, deck, or design inside Claude on any plan, including Free — closer to handing it part of a real deliverable, not just chat answers.
2026-10-06Claude (chat app)
Claude for Google Workspace entered public beta on paid plans. A Marketplace add-on puts Claude in Docs, Sheets, and Slides; connectors let Claude create and edit those files from chat.
If your work lives in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, Claude can edit the open file in place instead of you copying answers back and forth — a clear step past the chatbot layer.

As of 2026-10-17 · every entry linked to an official source on the full feed

Start here

Start with what you need done

You don't need to learn any new terms first. Pick the job, see which tools suit it, and how much to let the AI do.

Write a weekly status updateWeekly status without the Sunday scramble Turn a folder of notes into a briefBoard briefing in an afternoon See all jobs →Start from the work you already owe someone

Only used ChatGPT? Start here →

Compare the tools

Each row is one AI tool you can open and use. Read across to see how it works with you, how much it does on its own, what it costs, where it runs, what it can connect to and whether it can open your files. Click a tool's name for the full details and the sources behind every fact.

Narrow the list by how the tool works with you, or by how much it does on its own.

How it works

How much it does

Also browseConnections MCP Skills

Show developer tools Some tools work directly in files and software and are built mainly for technical users. They're hidden by default.

Tool	How it works with you	How much it does on its own	Which plans include it, and cost	Where you can use it	What it can connect to	Can it open and edit your files?
Claude Cowork Made by Anthropic	It does steps, you review	Does steps, you checkWorks on its own	Pro ($20/mo monthly, $17/mo annual), Max (from $100/mo), Team, Enterprise (opt-in for some features)	desktop (Mac/Windows), web (beta), mobile (beta)	Connectors + plugins (skills, connectors, sub-agents); built-in browser on desktop for Pro/Max/Team	Reads/edits/creates files in folders you choose (desktop); deletions need approval
Claude (chat app) Made by Anthropic	You ask, it answers	Helps you think	Free and up; Claude in Chrome + Claude for Microsoft 365 from Pro	web, iOS, Android, desktop	Connectors and Skills on all plans incl. Free	Uploads; creates/edits files via code execution
ChatGPT Work Made by OpenAI	It does steps, you review	Does steps, you check	Limited on Free/Go (desktop only); Plus and Pro on desktop, web, mobile. Dollar prices not shown on fetched page	desktop, web, mobile	Plugins on all plans; apps connecting to internal tools + Developer mode (beta) on Plus/Pro	File uploads; 'code edits on macOS' on Go+
Microsoft 365 Copilot + Copilot Cowork Made by Microsoft Some details not yet confirmed	It does steps, you review	Helps you thinkDoes steps, you check	M365 Copilot $30/user/mo paid yearly + qualifying M365 plan; Cowork metered in Copilot Credits ($0.01/credit PAYG); Cowork GA 16 Jun 2026	Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Copilot app	Copilot connectors, Work IQ (Microsoft Graph context)	Works on M365 files (SharePoint/OneDrive)
Gemini (Google AI plans) Made by Google	You ask, it answers	Helps you thinkDoes steps, you check	Google AI Plus $4.99/mo, Pro $19.99/mo, Ultra $99.99 / $199.99/mo (US). Tasks in Gemini + Chrome auto browse on Pro/Ultra (select countries)	Gemini app, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Chrome	Not yet confirmed	Google Drive/Docs via Workspace apps
Notion Agent / Custom Agents Made by Notion	It does steps, you review	Helps you thinkDoes steps, you check	Notion Agent on Business $20/member/mo; trial on Free/Plus; Custom Agents $10 per 1,000 Notion credits	web, desktop, mobile	Connections (basic/premium/advanced by plan)	Notion workspace content
Perplexity Comet Made by Perplexity Some details not yet confirmed	It does steps, you review	Does steps, you check	Reported free since July 2026 (third-party source only)	browser	Not yet confirmed	Not yet confirmed

Claude Cowork

Made by Anthropic

It does steps, you reviewDoes steps, you checkWorks on its own

What stays yours: Approving file changes and anything that leaves your folder.

Which plans include it, and cost: Pro ($20/mo monthly, $17/mo annual), Max (from $100/mo), Team, Enterprise (opt-in for some features)
Where you can use it: desktop (Mac/Windows), web (beta), mobile (beta)
What it can connect to: Connectors + plugins (skills, connectors, sub-agents); built-in browser on desktop for Pro/Max/Team
Can it open and edit your files?: Reads/edits/creates files in folders you choose (desktop); deletions need approval

Claude (chat app)

Made by Anthropic

You ask, it answersHelps you think

What stays yours: Deciding what to use from the answer, and where.

Which plans include it, and cost: Free and up; Claude in Chrome + Claude for Microsoft 365 from Pro
Where you can use it: web, iOS, Android, desktop
What it can connect to: Connectors and Skills on all plans incl. Free
Can it open and edit your files?: Uploads; creates/edits files via code execution

ChatGPT Work

Made by OpenAI

It does steps, you reviewDoes steps, you check

What stays yours: Checking the output before it goes to anyone.

Which plans include it, and cost: Limited on Free/Go (desktop only); Plus and Pro on desktop, web, mobile. Dollar prices not shown on fetched page
Where you can use it: desktop, web, mobile
What it can connect to: Plugins on all plans; apps connecting to internal tools + Developer mode (beta) on Plus/Pro
Can it open and edit your files?: File uploads; 'code edits on macOS' on Go+

Microsoft 365 Copilot + Copilot Cowork

Made by Microsoft

It does steps, you reviewHelps you thinkDoes steps, you checkSome details not yet confirmed

What stays yours: Approving what gets sent, shared or changed in Microsoft 365.

Which plans include it, and cost: M365 Copilot $30/user/mo paid yearly + qualifying M365 plan; Cowork metered in Copilot Credits ($0.01/credit PAYG); Cowork GA 16 Jun 2026
Where you can use it: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Copilot app
What it can connect to: Copilot connectors, Work IQ (Microsoft Graph context)
Can it open and edit your files?: Works on M365 files (SharePoint/OneDrive)

Gemini (Google AI plans)

Made by Google

You ask, it answersHelps you thinkDoes steps, you check

What stays yours: Deciding which drafts and summaries you put your name to.

Which plans include it, and cost: Google AI Plus $4.99/mo, Pro $19.99/mo, Ultra $99.99 / $199.99/mo (US). Tasks in Gemini + Chrome auto browse on Pro/Ultra (select countries)
Where you can use it: Gemini app, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Chrome
What it can connect to: Not yet confirmed
Can it open and edit your files?: Google Drive/Docs via Workspace apps

Notion Agent / Custom Agents

Made by Notion

It does steps, you reviewHelps you thinkDoes steps, you check

What stays yours: Choosing which page edits to keep.

Which plans include it, and cost: Notion Agent on Business $20/member/mo; trial on Free/Plus; Custom Agents $10 per 1,000 Notion credits
Where you can use it: web, desktop, mobile
What it can connect to: Connections (basic/premium/advanced by plan)
Can it open and edit your files?: Notion workspace content

Perplexity Comet

Made by Perplexity

It does steps, you reviewDoes steps, you checkSome details not yet confirmed

What stays yours: Confirming any purchase, form or message before it goes.

Which plans include it, and cost: Reported free since July 2026 (third-party source only)
Where you can use it: browser
What it can connect to: Not yet confirmed
Can it open and edit your files?: Not yet confirmed