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SHORT ⚡ CIRCUIT
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KEEPING CURRENT
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Vol. 1 · Issue 2 · April 14, 2026
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The Right Tool for the Right Job.
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Most people pick one AI tool and use it for everything. That's like using a screwdriver as a hammer.
Here's what I learned building this project: ChatGPT is great for image generation. Claude is better at writing, strategy, and code. I used both to create Shorty, the robot mascot you see in this newsletter — ChatGPT generated every pose and visual, Claude built the brand system and the website around them. The surprise: Claude wrote sharper brand voice rules than ChatGPT, even though ChatGPT is the more "creative" tool. The lesson wasn't which is better — it was that they're better at different things.
A January 2025 survey from Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center found that among people who use AI chatbots, most are already using two or more. 72% use ChatGPT. 50% use Gemini. 39% use Copilot. The smartest users aren't loyal to one tool — they're building a toolkit.
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Try This:
Find Your Second AI Tool in 5 Minutes
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Pick something you already use AI for — drafting an email, summarizing a document, brainstorming ideas. Now try the exact same task in a different tool.
1. Take a task you've already done in your go-to AI tool (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot — whatever you use most)
2. Open a free account on one you haven't tried yet
3. Give it the exact same prompt
4. Compare the results side by side
That's it. No scoring system, no spreadsheet. Just notice what's different. One might be more detailed. One might sound more natural. One might catch something the other missed.
The point isn't to find a winner — it's to see that different tools think differently. Once you know that, you stop asking "which AI is best?" and start asking "which AI is best for this?"
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This Week in AI
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PepsiCo Is Building AI Digital Twins of Its Factories
PepsiCo is working with Siemens and NVIDIA to build full 3D digital twins of its U.S. manufacturing and warehouse facilities. AI agents simulate changes to the entire operation before anything gets touched on the floor — catching up to 90% of potential issues before they happen. This is where AI meets the shop floor. Read more →
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OpenAI Launches a Free ChatGPT Built for Doctors
OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT for Clinicians in April — a free version of the tool restricted to verified doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists, designed for clinical documentation, care coordination, and evidence-based reasoning. The signal: AI vendors are starting to ship industry-specific products with verification gates, not just general-purpose tools anyone can sign up for. Expect more of this in regulated industries. Read more →
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Three Major AI Models Are Shipping This Quarter
DeepSeek V4, GPT-5.5, and Grok 5 are all expected to launch between now and June. Each is a meaningful step forward from its predecessor. If you've been waiting for AI tools to mature before adopting them, the next 60 days will give you better options to start with. Read more →
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🎓 CIRCUIT SCHOOL
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AI 101 · Part 2
Building your AI vocabulary from the ground up
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What Is a Prompt?
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A prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool. It's the text you type into the chat box. Simple as that.
But here's what most people don't realize: the quality of what you get back is directly tied to how you write that prompt. "Write me a marketing email" will get you something generic. "Write a 3-paragraph email to small business owners who are skeptical about AI, using a conversational tone, highlighting one specific benefit" will get you something useful.
Think of it like giving directions. "Go to the store" vs. "Take Main Street to the grocery store on 5th, grab milk and eggs, and come straight back." Same task, very different results.
The skill of writing good prompts is called prompt engineering. It's not coding. It's closer to being a clear communicator — knowing what you want and being specific about it.
Next issue we'll cover hallucinations — when AI confidently says something untrue, and how to spot one.
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HOW WE MADE THIS
This issue is about using the right tool for the right job — so here's how we practiced what we preach.
The lead story about Shorty's creation was a real project that used ChatGPT for image generation and Claude for everything else. Rich sat down with Claude to write about the experience, pull the survey stats, and structure the narrative. The news items were researched by Claude, picked by Rich, and rewritten until they didn't sound like a press release.
The "Try This" exercise came from Rich's actual experience switching between tools.
Two tools, used for what each does best.
See you next Tuesday.
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Sponsored By
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Neo Crucible
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Thanks to Neo Crucible for being our first sponsor. Follow the Short Circuit Project to see what I make with AI and a new Creality 3D printer!
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