My first two months with AI agents: some confident assertions

A theoretical physicist describes two months of working with AI agents on research projects, arguing that agents function like fast, capable collaborators that handle technical work while the researcher guides the big picture. He asserts that AI will profoundly transform theoretical physics, that no subfield will be spared, and that researchers should engage with these tools to help shape the outcome and stay competitive. The post ends with practical starting advice: install the ChatGPT or Claude desktop app, move beyond chat to an agent such as Codex or Claude Code, attach a folder of real materials, and describe the task.