Home on Martin Weitzel

LinkedIn Is Downranking AI Slop — And I'm Taking a Personal AI Detox

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Back in February, I warned that AI-generated phrasing is increasingly perceived as “AI slop” by readers, and that it makes absolute sense to consciously avoid AI in certain contexts, like LinkedIn posts, communication with colleagues, or high-stakes business writing.

Unfortunately, the same now applies to AI-generated images, as magical as the new capabilities of tools like GPT-Image-2 may feel.

On X/Twitter, this has already gone so far that AI expert voices are now deliberately using poor spelling, clunky grammar, and a messy layout to distinguish themselves from the sea of polished generic content. It is a fascinating and somewhat absurd social phenomenon: we have reached a point where grammatically perfect writing is subconscious shorthand for “bot,” while typos and “GenZ speak” have become the ultimate proof of human origin.

Rethinking the Human Loop: Is the final human decision on AI an illusion?

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“In the end, the human must decide.”

I think that’s nonsense.

This platitude has been around for quite some time now, and it always surfaces whenever AI is discussed. It refers to the “Human-in-the-Loop”, meaning the AI is welcome to prepare everything, but ultimately, the human checks and decides. It serves as a collective reassurance: Our jobs are changing, but don’t worry, we will still be needed. Just as architects, rather than clerks.

But what should I actually do with AI agents?

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“But what should I actually do with AI agents?”

I get this question every time I post about OpenClaw, Claude, or Codex. Because it keeps coming up, it deserves a clear answer.

AI agents automate workflows: (chains of) tasks that knowledge workers have previously done manually in the company.

The principle isn’t new. Companies have been automating since the dawn of digitization. What’s new is where the boundary lies.

Previously, automation was mostly for highly standardized processes: always the exact same sequence, a finite number of case types, high volumes.

The Risk of Building Too Little: The Exploding Demand for AI Compute

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I think I made a typically German error in judgment in early 2025.

I looked at the billions being spent on AI data centers and thought: “That’s a pretty massive risk.”

Today, I would rather say: The risk probably wasn’t building too much. The risk is building too little.

Why? Because the use of AI is fundamentally changing right now.

A year ago, for many, that meant a few prompts in a chat window. Maybe a document now and then, perhaps a few tens of thousands of tokens.

The True Cost of Agentic AI: Why We Need a Value Logic

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Most AI business cases pay off (as long as you use the cheap models).

I burned 200 euros on AI tokens last week. And in doing so, I finally understood why many AI transformation plans will fail.

As long as AI is thought of in the model of a monthly €20–40 subscription (as is STILL common today), the math is simple: A small license item meets high personnel costs. This makes almost any productivity increase seem immediately attractive.

Politeness is Attention, Not Your Sitting Position

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“You were noticed negatively in the last Teams meeting.”

A colleague called me yesterday.

Supposedly, I was vacuuming in the background.

I wasn’t vacuuming. I was doing weight lifting.

And I would do it again, any time.

Here is why:

The meeting was pure information exchange. Listening. Answering questions. No slides. No workshop. No presentation.

I don’t sit at my desk for that. That would be wasted time.

What most people don’t know: When I move, I listen better. Less mental distraction. More focus.

AI Agent FOMO: Why AI Agents Make Me Nervous – and What I’m Doing About It

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI Agents Are Coming Faster Than I Thought – And It’s Messing With My Head

I was born in 1985, turned forty not long ago, and I have a problem: AI agent FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) has gotten to me. Really gotten to me. And I believe many others will soon feel the same way.

Always in the Right Place, Always at the Wrong Time

I’ve been a tech enthusiast for as long as I can remember. And looking back, I often had the right instinct. Just never the right timing or the business maturity to turn it into something big.

The Idea is Valuable Again

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Idea is Valuable Again

There is a sentence that I, as an innovation manager in a corporation, have said a hundred times: “The idea alone is worth nothing.”

This sentence has an expiration date. And it’s approaching faster than most people think.

Why Ideas Were Worth Nothing for a Long Time

The principle was simple. Ideas are everywhere. What mattered was the ability to execute them. And this ability depended on things that most people didn’t have or couldn’t control.

MCP vs. CLI: The Battle for the AI Agent's Heart

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

MCP vs. CLI: The Battle for the AI Agent’s Heart

I used to think that the Model Context Protocol (MCP) was the holy grail for AI agents—the standard that would finally bridge the gap between LLMs and real-world tools.

But then the CLI (Command Line Interface) faction spoke up, and I have to admit: they have some damn good arguments.

The CLI: 50 Years of Composable Power

The console—with its ls, cp, grep, curl, and ping commands—isn’t just a relic of the past. For an AI agent, it’s a superpower for several reasons:

What's Still Missing Before AI Agents Can Replace Entire Roles in the Enterprise?

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What’s Still Missing Before AI Agents Can Replace Entire Roles in the Enterprise?

The latest advances in AI agent frameworks like Claude Cowork, OpenClaw and models like Opus 4.6 raise an uncomfortable question: Are we planning too conservatively in our transformation strategies?

The Magical Feeling Is Back

In my last blog post on Monday, I described how I installed and tried out OpenClaw myself, with use cases in communication, note management, and tool integration. Now we finally habe AI Agents that really feel like actual agents. What’s special about this agent framework: it doesn’t work via the MCP protocol, but through the command-line interface. The AI operates the operating system directly, at the OS level, and can therefore fundamentally control all applications that a computer offers.

My Weekend with OpenClaw

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My Weekend with OpenClaw

TLDR: I installed Linux Mint on an old notebook, set up OpenClaw, and lived with an AI agent for a weekend. It searched through my notes, reminded me of my own principles, and pointed out that my son had a fever for two days. Here is what I learned, and why I still turned it off for now.

FOMO Got Me

I admit it: FOMO got me. Everywhere you read about AI agents that don’t just answer, but act. That create files, install software, check appointments. No longer just a chat window, but a digital assistant that runs on your own computer and does things.

AI Has a Smell

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI Has a Smell

And more and more people are smelling it.

AI-generated text is everywhere. AI-generated images are everywhere. LinkedIn posts, blog articles, emails, comments, proposals – all of it permeated by this unmistakable smell. And people? They’re becoming increasingly sensitive to it.

That’s what I mean by “smell.” Not in the technical sense, but in the intuitive one. A lot of people – especially those who read and write a lot themselves – smell it. After the first sentence. Sometimes just from the header image.

AI Is Replacing Programmers, Not Builders

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI Is Replacing Programmers, Not Builders

High school graduates, parents, and people in the industry keep asking the same question: Is it even still worth studying computer science? Won’t AI just replace all of it?

My answer is clear: Yes, it’s worth it. But only if you approach it the right way.

Pure Programming Will Disappear

I know this is painful for some people to hear. Myself included – I used to enjoy coding myself. It’s a craft you’re accustomed to, one you’ll miss when it’s gone. Peter Steinberger put it very aptly in a recent conversation with Lex Fridman:

The AI Sentiment Shift: Why Your 2025 Workforce Plans Are Already Outdated

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Something has changed. And it happened faster than almost anyone predicted.

For the past two years, the corporate world has lived comfortably between two camps in the AI debate. On one side: the optimists, promising exponential improvement, predicting that Large Language Models would get two, three, ten times better every year. On the other: the skeptics, pointing to hallucinations, limited context windows, weak reasoning, messy enterprise data, undocumented processes, and the looming plateau where scaling laws would hit a wall.

The Comeback of Innovation Management? Why This Time Might Be Different

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Anyone who followed the LinkedIn feed of an average innovation department between 2010 and 2020 knows the picture: hackathons with Post-its, stage-gate processes with a hundred columns, innovation labs with a barista corner. Lots of theater, few results. But in 2026, an uncomfortable question arises: Do we need exactly what failed back then — only this time with a mandate, capital, and the power to execute?

The Decade of Innovation Theater

Between 2010 and 2020, the German corporate world experienced a veritable wave of innovation — at least in its rhetoric. Idea workshops, hackathons, venture building, corporate startups: there was hardly a format that wasn’t tried. Anyone who observed this in the market at the time could recognize a recurring pattern: enormous effort, glossy keynotes, bold press releases — and in the end, few measurable results.

Service & Product Strategy Process

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:55:00 +0100

As Process Owner, I am modernizing and optimizing our strategic cycles—from market pain point discovery to innovative solutions and continuous portfolio optimization.

Meeting Efficiency & Reducing Business Theater

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:52:00 +0100

Meetings are essential but often inefficient. I work on reducing ‘Business Theater’ and reclaiming valuable time through clear rules and modern methods.

AI Introduction & Process Industrialization

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:45:00 +0100

Leading the transformation of service processes through AI to drive cost efficiency and secure the competitiveness of Germany as a business location.

The Meta-Level Problem: Why Projects Suffocate in Abstractions

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The article shows that projects fail when they remain stuck in abstractions and don’t specify concrete actions. Without tangible steps and results, they appear as façade rather than genuine strategy.

AI Adoption in Business Departments: Why Process Clarity Comes Before Technology

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Many departments wait for someone to explain AI to them. But the first step is not technology—it’s understanding your own processes. A practical guide for corporate transformation.

AI Adoption in Corporations: A Guide for Corporate Developers

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A practical guide for coordinating enterprise-wide AI adoption. Learn how to prioritize use cases, set up governance, measure success, and avoid common pitfalls.

OMAD as a Tool: A Temporary Willpower Hack, Not a Lifestyle

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

OMAD (One Meal A Day) is not a sustainable diet. But as a temporary tool in high-stress phases, it can be surprisingly effective for weight management.

Income Is Not Wealth: Why Buying Power Thinking Prevents Prosperity

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A common mental model from early career years quietly undermines wealth building. Thinking about income as monthly spending capacity prevents capital accumulation.

Sleep Problems Are Autonomy Problems

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Learn why people stay up late despite being tired, how bedtime procrastination signals a lack of daytime autonomy, and how reclaiming control of your day leads to natural, restful sleep.

Don't Choose What You Want—Choose Where You're the Best Choice

Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Choosing based on desire alone leads to crowded competition. Choosing based on where you’re the best fit leads to success with less resistance.

Processes Instead of Promises: Why AI Needs the Industrial Revolution Playbook

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

AI productivity gains aren’t automatic. Learn how the Industrial Revolution’s ‘process over technology’ approach is the key to successfully scaling AI in your business.

Behavior Change as a System: A Resilient Five-Step Approach for Lasting Change

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Most behavior change attempts fail because they rely on motivation alone. This five-step system creates lasting change through structure, not willpower.

Subtraction Beats Addition: Why Less Almost Always Has More Impact

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When facing problems, we instinctively add solutions. But subtraction is often more effective. Learn why removing beats adding in most situations.

Make or Buy? The Strategic Guide to Integrating AI Tools in Your Organization

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Deciding between custom AI development and commercial SaaS products? Discover the key factors for a successful AI integration strategy, including cost, scalability, and competitive advantage.

Wherever You Are, Be All There: Focus as a Productivity and Happiness Principle

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Being fully present is not just a mindfulness cliché—it’s a productivity principle. Learn how fragmented attention kills both output and satisfaction.

AI in Software Development: Hype or Revolution?

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Is AI in software development hype or a revolution? Explore real-world productivity gains, Google’s migration case studies, and why prompting alone isn’t enough.

Productivity as an Avoidance Strategy: Why We Create Problems to Avoid Living

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes productivity is not about getting things done—it’s about avoiding what we fear. Learn to recognize when optimization becomes escape.

Organizational Procrastination: When Busyness Replaces Work

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When organizations confuse activity with progress, busyness becomes a form of avoidance. Learn to recognize and counter organizational procrastination.

Hell Yes or Hell No Is Half Right and Half Dangerous

Sat, 10 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The ‘Hell Yes or Hell No’ philosophy sounds liberating but can paralyze decision-making. Learn when it works, when it fails, and what to use instead.

Why Obsidian Is Better Than Roam: A System Beats a Tool

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Productivity tools are often discussed ideologically. In practice, the deciding factor is not theoretical power but whether a tool creates clarity, speed, and mental calm.

The Zero Day Approach: Why Periodic Resets Beat Perfect Routines

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Many people search for the perfect routine that will work forever. This idea is wrong. Routines must evolve, and every system eventually becomes cluttered.

Laziness as a Productivity Engine: Why 'Doing Nothing' Is Not the Goal

Sat, 15 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Laziness is not the opposite of productivity—it’s a driver of it. Learn how to channel your desire for rest into smarter systems and real efficiency.

AI Chip Arms Race: Are Billion-Dollar Bets Paying Off?

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Tech giants are investing billions in AI chips, data centers and energy infrastructure. This analysis examines whether Microsoft and other hyperscalers can profit from massive GPU orders or whether the market is heading toward an AI bubble.

The Morning Routine as a System: A Tool for Managing Willpower, Focus, and Life Balance

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The morning routine is not about waking early or meditation rituals—it’s a system for prioritizing what matters before the day takes over.

Spotting Natural Talent: Why Surprises Matter More Than Resumes

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Stop hiring based on resumes alone. Learn how to identify natural talent through the surprise factor, creative problem-solving, and perspective-shifting results.

Walking as a System: A Simple Lever for Health, Clarity, and Productivity

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Walking is not just exercise—it’s a transformation domino that improves physical health, mental stability, and cognitive performance simultaneously.

Shedding Light on the Shadow Self: Embracing Your Hidden Persona

Sat, 04 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Discover the meaning of the shadow self and how to integrate your hidden persona. Learn to recognize shadow traits in yourself and others to achieve authentic growth.

Finding Balance in Life: How to Use a Spider Web Diagram to Identify Your Priorities

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Discover how to prioritize your life goals and achieve balance. Learn to use a spider web diagram to visualize priorities and reclaim high-quality time.

Unmasking the Introvert: Why Socializing is Exhausting and How to Change

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Discover why introverts feel drained by social interaction. Learn how social masks and the ‘shadow self’ impact your energy and how to embrace authenticity to stop social exhaustion.

When People Know They Did You Wrong, They Ignore You

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Learn why people withdraw or ignore you after hurting you, how to interpret their behavior more accurately, and how empathy and humility can improve your relationships and emotional wellbeing.

Roam vs. Obsidian vs. Notion vs. Evernote: The Best Productivity Tools for a Deliberate Work Life

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Discover the most effective productivity tools for task management, note taking, and personal knowledge management. A detailed comparison based on ten years of real-world experience.

Impressum

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Die folgenden Angaben basieren auf den Vorgaben in § 5 TMG:

Martin Weitzel
Patriotischer Weg 80
18057 Rostock

Kontakt:

E-Mail: me@mweitzel.com

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