Let’s talk about the patterns emerging for interacting with Generative AI to do work in 2026.

It feels like we’ve lived through a decade of tool evolution in just the last 18 months. As the dust settles, I’m seeing four distinct patterns of interaction taking shape. Each has its own “gravity” and specific use case, and if you’re building software (or just trying to get work done), you’re probably already jumping between at least two of them.

We aren’t just “using AI” anymore; we’re choosing the right interface for the specific type of thinking we need to do.

1. The “Guest”: IDE Plugins

This is the “original” method, and it’s still the daily driver for developers with mature, entrenched workflows. We’re talking about tools like Gemini Code Assist and GitHub Copilot.

They work well because they meet you where you are. You don’t have to change your editor or your themes. But the nature of being a plugin limits them. As detailed analysis of IDE limits points out, plugins operate within strict security boundaries—they generally cannot execute code, run shell commands, or refactor across files without you holding their hand.

It’s a solid baseline for “in-flow” completion, but it rarely feels “magical” anymore. The AI is a polite guest in your house; it can suggest where to put the furniture, but it can’t move the couch.

2. The “Architect”: Low/No Code (The “Front Door”)

This is where the masses enter: Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. It’s the web interface. You click buttons to connect data sources (using things like MCP in the background). You create persistent objects—Gemini Gems, Claude Artifacts—that hold context over time.

Don’t let the “Low Code” label fool you. These interfaces are becoming the primary domain for “systems thinking”. I find myself here when I need to brainstorm, architect, or generate a large chunk of boilerplate that doesn’t fit into a single file context.

When you need to define system boundaries or elicit requirements, the chat interface is the IDE. It’s the best place for “thinking with AI” before you ever write a line of code.

3. The “Landlord”: The Agentic IDE

This space just got a massive jolt of energy with Google’s new Antigravity, joining heavyweights like Cursor and Windsurf.

This is an IDE, but the GenAI Agent isn’t just a guest; it’s the landlord. It’s much more integrated than a plugin. Its hooks are everywhere, reading your terminal output, understanding your file tree structure, and anticipating your next move.

Antigravity, launched just days ago, pushes this “agent-first” paradigm hard. It introduces “Artifacts”—verifiable deliverables like task lists and implementation plans—so you can trust what the agent is doing. It can even control a browser right on your desktop to run tests, which is a massive upgrade over wrestling with brittle Playwright scripts.

The trade-off? You have to move into their house. These are often forks of VS Code, which means you might be dealing with extension compatibility issues or “vendor lock-in”.

4. The “Operator”: Terminals

Interestingly, this is where a lot of the industry momentum is leaning right now for the true power users. Terminal-based GenAI coding provides the ultimate flexibility, customization, and speed.

We are seeing massive investment here. Claude Code (the new CLI from Anthropic) brings the full power of Sonnet 3.7 directly into your shell, capable of understanding your entire codebase and managing git operations. Google’s own Gemini CLI takes a similar path but focuses on open extensibility via MCP, letting you wire up any tool or API directly to your command line.

And then there is the “long tail” of specialized innovation. Tools like Tessl are taking a completely different angle, using an “AI-native” approach driven by specifications rather than just chat. They argue that if you define the intent (the spec), the AI should be able to maintain and evolve the implementation autonomously.

The downside? You usually have to use another tool—or at least pop open vim or switch to another tab—to manually edit files when the AI gets 90% of the way there. But for the “operator” mindset, nothing beats the raw speed of the CLI.

The Outlook

These patterns will continue to refine and jockey for position throughout 2026. The lines are already blurring. The great thing is that major players like Google and Anthropic are bringing coherent thoughts to the table, looking for ways to integrate multiple surfaces in this pattern into one place.

For now, the “best” tool isn’t one single app. It’s a toolbelt. I use the “Architect” to plan, the “Landlord” to build, and the “Operator” to run the show.