Computer use: when the AI clicks the buttons for you

Half of small-business software has no API — the booking portal, the supplier's ordering site, that government form. Computer use closes the gap: the model sees the screen and operates mouse and keyboard like a person.

Where it shines: repetitive transfers between systems that don't talk to each other. "Take each row of this spreadsheet and enter it into the portal" — the classic Tuesday-afternoon soul-crusher.

Ground rules:

• It's slower than an API and can mis-click; use it where no integration exists, not instead of one.
• Supervise the first runs, then spot-check.
• Keep it away from payments and anything irreversible — those clicks stay human.

Rule of thumb: if you'd trust a diligent temp to do it with a written checklist, it's a computer-use candidate.