Which AI setup do you actually need? The three levels

Social media makes AI look complicated. Every week there is a new tool, a new model and a new "must have" stack. You keep switching, spend money, and still feel like you are not getting work done.

The truth is simpler. Your setup should match your work. There are three levels.

Level 1: A personal assistant and ChatGPT

This is you if most of your day is email, documents, PowerPoints and calls.

You do not need much. A personal assistant you can message, on iMessage or WhatsApp depending on your business, plus a chat assistant like ChatGPT for occasional questions, covers a lot. Many free tiers are enough to start with. Tomi's point is that if your work is mostly joining meetings and taking notes, a heavy setup will not give you much more.

Do this: pick one assistant, connect only what you need, and use it every day for a week.

Level 2: Add an AI browser agent

This is you if you are a knowledge worker who does things across websites and business apps.

A browser agent can open websites, fill out forms, update boards and work in documents for you. Tomi uses Aside, an AI browser for Mac and Windows, and recommends a browser agent for most knowledge workers. Whatever you use, check what it can reach before you give it your accounts.

Do this: pick three repeat tasks in your browser, such as updating a board or filing a form, and hand them to the agent one at a time. See how to automate your job with AI for a full day example.

Level 3: Specialist setups with agents that have their own computers

This is you if you are a software engineer, music producer, videographer or game developer.

This is where setups get exotic. Tomi was a full-time software engineer before ChatGPT, used Xcode, VS Code and JetBrains, and produced music. Now he runs agents that write code, agents that review it, and agents that control their own computer, including game tools like Unreal Editor and Blender. He mixes models across tasks: GPT and Claude models, Gemini models for audio and video, and Kimi models.

You do not start here. Add capabilities when you need them. If level three sounds like you, see how an AI chief of staff keeps it organized.

How to pick your level

1. List what you did in the last two work days.
2. Mark what happened in an inbox, a document or a call. That is level one.
3. Mark what happened across websites and apps. That is level two.
4. Mark what needed code, audio, video or a game engine. That is level three.
5. Start at the lowest level that covers most of your list.

Then think about the price. If you ever consider a $200 plan, read whether it is worth it first. Official plan pages such as ChatGPT Pro say usage limits apply, so your real need is capacity for your own work.

How we do it at SupaKid Studios

Tomi's view is that many influencers drastically overcomplicate AI for the 99% of people who do not need it. People who worked in tech as engineers and product managers before ChatGPT understand this faster because AI agents behave a lot like employees: give them a clear job, a way to do it and a review.

With clients, we do the same. SkipHold, a white-label AI communications platform, wanted their team building with AI. We plugged them into AI development and software factories, which are agents that build, test and ship code. Blockwise, a small accounting firm, did not need that. They needed one bookkeeping agent on their QuickBooks bank feed. Different people, different levels.

What goes wrong

• Buying for level three at level one. You get cost and clutter, not output.
• Tool hopping. Switching tools weekly means you never learn any of them.
• No review step. Any level fails if nobody checks the work.
• Giving broad access too soon. Give an agent only the access its job needs.

What to do today

Write down which level you are. Then pick one task and finish it with that level only.

Not sure where you land? SupaKid Studios runs coaching for founders and operators. A 30-minute call is enough to find your level and the first thing to set up.