The AI OS · Letter #48
September 6, 2025

The end of AI copy-paste hell

Steal these 3 tiny keyboard habits that remove all the friction from your workflow.

The end of AI copy-paste hell

I've worked with over 100 professionals trying to get AI integrated into their daily work. You know what I learned?

The AI you see hyped up on LinkedIn has almost nothing to do with the AI people actually use.

The hype is all about magical, one-click solutions. The reality is a soul-crushing loop of copy-pasting between browser tabs just to get a half-decent answer.

Let's be honest, AI adoption is a mess. It's hard for a reason:

I was stuck in that same loop a couple of months ago.

I just wanted to solve one "simple"—yet incredibly painful—problem I had every day: minimising the time between what I wanted AI to do and the output.

But it was never simple. It was a whole dance: highlight, copy, open a new tab, paste, wait for the page to load, fix the weird formatting, realize you forgot to add context, tab back, re-copy, re-paste... you know the routine.

Then I hit one keyboard shortcut, watched a new chat open with my text and prompt already in place, and the reply started instantly.

Forty-five minutes → forty-five seconds.

That “oh come on” moment is why I wrote this. AI can save you hours, but the tiny bits of friction (new tabs, copy/paste, hunting for prompts) make us default to old habits. So let’s remove the friction.

Below are 3 low-effort AI habits I use daily that save me 20+ hours/week. They’re simple. They stack. And they’ll make you feel like you’ve enabled a cheat code.

Quick map of what’s inside:

Habit #1: The Everywhere AI Shortcut

Goal: Open the exact AI action you need from anywhere in 1–2 keystrokes. No tabs. No hunting. Just go.

How it works in real life

I press Option + Space → type gbt␣ and paste a prompt → Enter.

A brand-new ChatGPT chat opens and starts running.

If I type claude p → Enter, I land on my Claude Projects page.

gem → Enter, I’m in a new Gemini chat.

No context switching. No “let me just open one more tab.”

What you need

Setup (conceptual, step-by-step)

  1. Install a launcher and set a global hotkey (I use Option + Space).
  2. Create custom web searches for your AI tools:
    • ChatGPT new chat: keyword gbt + a dynamic {query} parameter so what you type after gbt becomes the prompt.
    • Claude new chat / Projects page: same idea, but with Claude’s URLs.
    • Gemini: Gemini doesn’t expose a dynamic URL for prefilled prompts, so use a static new-chat URL and just open an empty chat with keyword gem.

Pro Tips

Why this saves hours

If you're using AI extensively (like me):

This might sound like just a 5% increase in output. It's not. When added up across a day, it becomes truly impactful.

Habit #2: Text Expanders (Prompts on Tap)

Goal: Type a 3–6 letter trigger and watch your full, tuned prompt appear—anywhere you’re typing.

What it looks like

I type colgpt (short for “concise/clear”) and—boom—my full editing prompt drops in. I use it 20+ times/day to tighten writing. I don’t have the patience to retype it every time, and you shouldn’t either.

Tools that work

I use these, to refine emails or writing with a specific writing style, respond to prospects, check grammar and spelling, among many other use cases.

My 3 most-used prompts (steal these)

1) Clear & Concise Editor — colgpt

You are an expert editor. Rewrite the text I paste next to be:
- {trim level: "trim the fat" | "halve the word count" | "make it ultra-concise"}
- Plain, specific, active voice
- Keep the meaning intact
Return: improved text only.

2) Email Polisher — polish‍

Revise the email below to be clear, brief, and friendly-professional.
- Subject line options (3)
- Body ≤ 120 words
- One clear ask and next step
Return subject + final email.

3) Formatter — format

Reformat the text below into:
- A 5-bullet TL;DR
- A tidy outline with H2/H3
- A 3-step call-to-action
Keep my tone. No extra commentary.

Bonus for creators: Instant Analogy Generator — analog

“Explain the concept I paste using 3 simple analogies (one technical, one everyday life, one humorous).”

How to build the habit

Chaining = chef’s kiss

Habit #3: The Prompt Multiplier Method

(Use this when the stakes are high.)

Frontier models are so good that even lazy prompts can work… until the decision matters.

If you’re spitballing ideas for a team stand-up? Fine, be lazy.

If you’re deciding whether to refinance a mortgage? Maybe don’t gamble.

The 6 ingredients of a strong prompt

Do we always include all six? Honestly, no. But we should when money/reputation/risk is on the line.

I've seen many "prompt anatomy" posts for specific models, for reasoning, etc. In my experience, this simple basic framework worked better in all situations.

Two scenarios

Now, 80% of my prompts are produced by another AI. Gemini 2.5 Pro and reasoning models in general are good prompt engineers.

Copy this “Prompt Multiplier” once and save it as a snippet (multi)

You are a prompt engineer for {MODEL}.
Rewrite my rough prompt into 3 optimized versions tailored to {MODEL}'s strengths.

Each version must include:
- Clear Task, Context, Persona, Format, Tone
- Inputs you need from me (as a short checklist)
- A suggested evaluation rubric
- If quantitative, include a small comparison table

Return all 3 versions titled V1/V2/V3.
My rough prompt: """{paste here}"""

‍Example (high-stakes money decision)

Rough prompt:

“Bank offered 4.2% on a refinance. What factors should I consider?”

Multiplied output might include:

You’ll instantly see a night-and-day difference. And because it’s high-stakes, the extra step is worth it. Save your favorite version as a snippet for next time.

Bonus: Embed AI “Triggers” Where You Already Work

If you have to remember to use AI, you won’t. So don’t remember—embed.

My setup

Result: AI is always one click away at the moment of need. No willpower required.

[Screenshot Placeholder]

Tiny Dialogues (Because You’re Probably Thinking This)

“Isn’t this overkill?”

No. This is removing pebbles from your shoes. Over a week, those pebbles are hours.

“Do I need paid tools?”

No. Raycast + PowerToys Run + Beeftext are free. Paid tiers and Thinking mode help, but the habits work regardless.

“Will these make me dependent on AI?”

They make you dependent on good process. You’ll still think—just faster, with better output.

However, DO make sure that your day is not filled by “you talking and using AI output mindlessly”. Make sure you're using your brain in whatever you're doing. Using AI all day without you using your neurons is a serious threat to your brain.

TL;DR Checklist

Quick Examples You Can Use Today

  1. Workday reality:
    • You highlight a messy paragraph in Docs → Cmd+C → Option+Space → claude␣ → paste → Enter → type colgpt → Enter. Done.
  2. Design crit:
    • Type analog after pasting an image description. Get 3 analogies you can use to sell a direction to stakeholders.
  3. Weekly status:
    • Paste raw notes → format → get TL;DR bullets + a clean outline you can drop into email or Slack.

If you implement just one of these today, make it the Everywhere AI Shortcut. It’s the highest-leverage unlock because it kills the “Ugh, I’ll do it later” moment.

Until the next one,

— Charafeddine

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