🔄 The upstream has changed. How Claude became my 'thought partner' & my decision for the end of May 2026🚀

Hello, this is Roel.
Last time, I organized the AI tools I'm currently paying for.
41,000 yen per month, more than 10 times what it was a year ago.

This time, I'll continue that topic.
I want to have an honest conversation about whether I should keep paying for these.

📎 Over the past year, AI tools have become a complete fixed cost.
Well, if I think of it as buying time and attending school, it's all good.

🔄 The upstream is starting to change

I wrote that I'm currently using Gemini Pro as my 'upstream thought partner'.

But to be honest, lately, Claude has started to feel more 'comfortable to talk to'.

Gemini is certainly fast.
The response isn't bad either.
It's just that it has a tendency to try to provide an answer no matter what, rather than saying it doesn't know when it doesn't.

Claude is different.
It is frustratingly cautious and says it doesn't know when it doesn't know.
But precisely because of that, I'm starting to feel it's better suited for upstream discussions—the time spent thinking together about things that don't have answers yet.

──When looking for a thought partner, sincerity is more important than speed.

Once I realized that, the way I naturally work started to change.

I also believe that to use AI effectively, it's important to first accurately understand the 'characteristics' of that AI.

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🏗 Claude has become the hub

There is another structural change.

Previously, the flow was 'think with Gemini, shape it with Genspark'.
Now, Claude Cowork is becoming the hub for everything, with a structure where I call upon Gemini or Genspark from there.

In other words, it's like this.

Think -> issue commands -> operate the necessary tools -> shape it.

Claude has started to manage that entire flow.

Since Gemini and Genspark are good at image generation, I call them when needed.
But the composition is that Claude takes the lead.

As this progresses, the 'hassle of switching between multiple tools' will disappear.
It's getting closer to a one-stop shop.
Honestly, that means I might cancel my 2,000 yen monthly subscription to Gemini at some point.

I'll keep it for now since I have an annual contract, but I plan to decide at the next renewal.

At the same time, there is a high possibility that I will also cancel my contract with Genspark.

Claude Cowork, an AI agent, is running GenSpark, which is also an AI agent.
That doesn't feel very eco-friendly (sweat).

🎬 Even video editing might disappear

I pay 1,500 yen a month for CapCut.

But recently, I've started wondering, 'How much longer will I need this?'

Meta acquired Manus, and a trend is emerging where AI automatically generates Instagram posts and ads.
NotebookLM's video explanation feature creates explanatory videos with audio just by inputting text.
The quality is subtle right now, but it seems that overseas, they are becoming capable of producing quite high-quality results.

──Once you provide the materials, the AI does everything else.

We are at the stage where we are waiting to see when that era will arrive.

The moment it arrives, I will quit CapCut.
I won't regret it at all.

🎤 Is an era coming where we won't need to pay for voice input either?

I used to pay for AquaVoice.
I've stopped now.
The reason is simple: the default voice input accuracy of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude has improved.
Also, the fact that the coworking space I use is an environment where it's hard to talk is a big factor, but...

Organizing subscriptions will proceed not by 'quitting because I don't use it anymore,' but by 'becoming unnecessary because others have caught up.'

🌏 The dark horse is the Chinese players

I'll mention one more thing that cannot be ignored.

Led by DeepSeek, Chinese AI is catching up with tremendous cost-performance.

A world might come where what costs 41,000 yen this month can be done for 4,000 yen.

If it's cheaper, that's better.
However, as for whether I'll switch immediately, I'm still in wait-and-see mode.

To ride the AI wave, I believe it's important not only to know 'which tools to use' but also to have 'a set of criteria for making decisions.'

📎 To ride the waves of the AI era, it's important to be a 'business trend-chaser'🏄

📅 I will make my decision at Google I/O at the end of May

To summarize, it looks like this.

Status quo line: Integration continues with Claude at the center.
Trigger for change: Announcements at Google I/O at the end of May.
Wildcard: Chinese competitors destroying costs.

Google makes major announcements at this time every year.
AI agent development is also progressing, and there is a strong possibility that riding the Google ecosystem will be overwhelmingly easier to use.

The billing structure might change again after June.
I plan to write about it honestly when that happens.

──That is my conclusion for now.

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