A new feature from Codex allows AI to learn and automate tasks by observing a user's on-screen actions. This is a breakthrough for enterprises, enabling automation of workflows involving old, legacy software that lacks modern APIs—a common and significant barrier to AI integration.

Instead of building skills from scratch, first complete a task through a back-and-forth conversation with your agent. Once you're satisfied with the result, instruct the agent to 'create a skill for what we just did.' It will then codify that successful process into a reusable file for future use.

Don't write agent skills from scratch. First, manually guide the agent through a workflow step-by-step. After a successful run, instruct the agent to review that conversation history and generate the skill from it. This provides the crucial context of what a successful outcome looks like.

Advanced AI agents like Codex offer a "Computer Use" skill that lets them control your computer's browser and mouse. This is a paradigm shift from traditional automation, which relies on APIs or command-line interfaces. It allows the agent to perform tasks on any application, just as a human would.

Instead of asking an AI for a one-off task, identify recurring workflows and have the AI turn them into a "skill." This creates a reusable asset that dramatically improves efficiency and output quality over time, turning the user into a system builder.

To begin automating work with AI, record yourself performing a task on video (e.g., using Loom) while narrating the process. An AI can then analyze the transcript to identify the repeatable steps and logic, which forms the basis for building a custom, automated "skill" that mirrors your workflow.

Overcome the hurdle of documenting processes by recording a screen-share video of yourself performing a task while talking through the steps. AI tools can then automatically convert the recording into a written playbook, eliminating the need to set aside dedicated writing time.

Treat AI 'skills' as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for your agent. By packaging a multi-step process, like creating a custom proposal, into a '.skill' file, you can simply invoke its name in the future. This lets the agent execute the entire workflow without needing repeated instructions.

Instead of pre-designing a complex AI system, first achieve your desired output through a manual, iterative conversation. Then, instruct the AI to review the entire session and convert that successful workflow into a reusable "skill." This reverse-engineers a perfect system from a proven process.