Agents and the Hidden Cost of Making Things Easier

Originally posted on trent.ai on February 3rd 2026. There’s a pattern I keep seeing, and it’s not new, but AI is about to put it on steroids. It usually starts with something that looks like progress. Someone builds a spreadsheet, or a script, or now, an agent. It makes their job easier, dramatically easier, and in that moment, everything feels right. We’re automating the boring stuff. We’re being