AI as an assistant, not a thinker

January brings two things in Vergecast-land: CES, and New Years' Resolutions. We start this episode with a dive into the story of this year's biggest tech show, the Lego Smart Brick, which is either a clever way of thinking about creativity or the end of creativity as we know it. Sean Hollister explains how the Smart Brick works, and how Lego can make sure it ends the right way. Then, Platformer's Casey Newton discusses his productivity system, his adventures in Claude Code, and how you too can make yourself a little more productive this year — with or without AI.

Further reading:

• Lego announces Smart Brick, the ‘most significant evolution’ in 50 years

• Lego’s Smart Bricks aren’t just an experiment

• I played with the Lego Smart Brick

• From Platformer: The project that turned me into a Claude Code believer

• From Platformer: What I learned about productivity this year

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