One App to Rule Them All? My Quiet Realization About ChatGPT—and What It Might Mean for the Rest of Us

Lately, I’ve realized how much I rely on ChatGPT—not just for writing or research, but for things like fixing my pool filter, ID’ing mushrooms, troubleshooting obscure remotes, and replumbing a waterslide (yes, really). It’s quietly replaced apps I used for years—Google, YouTube, even Notes—and made me wonder: are we moving toward one app to rule them all? As a therapist, I’m both amazed and cautious. What do we lose when we outsource everything to one intelligent system? At A Key Therapy, we explore the intersection of technology, overwhelm, and meaning—because your digital life should support your real one. www.lexenricosanti.com

Reflections on ChatGPT, Integration, and the Cost of Convenience

By Lex Enrico Santi, LCSW, MFA

The other day, I had a realization—not the thunderclap kind, but the slow-creeping type that sneaks up on you while you scroll through your recent searches. It hit me that this tool, ChatGPT, had quietly become something of a digital companion, taking up space where a dozen different apps once lived.

One app to rule them all?

It started simply enough. I was trying to figure out how to clean the sand filter in our pool. I snapped a picture, dropped it into ChatGPT, and within seconds it gave me a clear, step-by-step breakdown—complete with diagrams and part costs. Later that same day, I asked it how to replumb the water slide piping for our Airbnb property. (Yes, we have a slide. Yes, it works. Yes, it’s awesome.) ChatGPT even generated a mock-up image to help visualize the repair.

That afternoon, I found myself turning to it again and again. I asked it to help me draft a respectful email to a cleaner who was clearly stressed. I used it to research the best zero-drop shoes for arch pain, monitor price changes on a kettlebell set I’ve been eyeing, and troubleshoot a janky ceiling fan remote made by an obscure Chinese brand. I uploaded a photo—and ChatGPT diagnosed the problem and gave me a solution that worked on the first try.

As I scrolled further through my chat history, the requests became more personal. I’d used it to identify turkey tail mushrooms I found in the woods (don’t worry—I didn’t eat them), debate the economic impact of tariffs, and determine whether the leafy green things overtaking our yard were hostas (they were). I even asked how to divide and replant them lovingly.

What struck me wasn’t just the variety of questions, but the depth of reliance. This wasn’t just a search engine substitute. ChatGPT had started replacing tools I once turned to daily—YouTube for tutorials, Google for research, Notes for planning, messaging apps for brainstorming. Without consciously deciding to, I had consolidated a major portion of my digital life into a single interface.

And that made me stop and ask: where did all the other apps go? Is ChatGPT becoming the One App to Rule Them All?

From Google to GPT: The Shift I Didn’t See Coming

In the early 2000s, Google was the gold standard. You typed in a question, and—most of the time—you got what you needed. But over time, it’s become cluttered with ads, SEO-optimized junk, and endless scrolling. It takes real effort to find clarity now.

ChatGPT, on the other hand, feels like it cuts through the noise. It doesn’t just give you information—it talks to you. It remembers context, adapts to your tone, and responds like a collaborator rather than a cold search engine. It’s less of a tool and more of a partner—one that helps me think clearly and work efficiently.

But as much as I appreciate that clarity, I also feel a quiet unease. Because with convenience comes consolidation. And consolidation—if left unchecked—can come with a cost.

The Temptation of Total Integration

There’s a line from The Lord of the Rings that keeps echoing in my mind: “One ring to rule them all.” It’s a little dramatic, but it fits. I started wondering—genuinely, curiously—what it would take for an AI like this to fully replace all the other tools in my digital ecosystem. So I asked ChatGPT directly: What comes next?

Its answer was both impressive and a little eerie. It laid out a clear roadmap: consolidation of productivity tools like calendars and to-do lists; integration with wellness features like therapy journals and mindfulness trackers; smart coaching across finance, parenting, travel, and fitness; and real-time orchestration of all your apps from one interface.

It sounds incredibly efficient. Maybe even peaceful. But as a therapist—and as a human—I had to ask myself: do I really want one system to handle everything?

What We Might Lose

Yes, it’s appealing to have one app that can write, guide, teach, plan, and gently remind. But the therapist in me knows that friction has value. Some discomfort is instructive. Some complexity is worth keeping.

When we centralize too much, we risk over-dependence. What happens when the system breaks—or worse, when it starts making subtle choices that shape our behavior? We lose friction-based growth. Sometimes the hard way is the path that teaches us the most. We expose ourselves to privacy vulnerabilities. The more one tool knows, the more it can be used—intentionally or not—in ways that impact us. And we blur emotional boundaries. Should the same AI that helps you grieve also help you shop for a new grill?

There’s also something to be said for diversity—for using different tools, hearing different voices, encountering new ways of thinking. My pool filter? Sure, I want that process streamlined. But my grief process? My sense of self? Maybe not.

So, What’s the Answer?

I don’t have one yet. I love how much lighter my digital life feels with ChatGPT. I’m grateful for the time it saves, the clarity it brings. But I also feel a small grief for the scattered beauty of my old toolkit—each piece doing one thing well, each offering a different window into the world.

I’m not ready to let one interface mediate my entire life. And maybe I never will. But I am trying to be more conscious—to pause and ask, “Does this serve me, or just save me time?” Because if we can hold that question close, then maybe AI can become a tool that enhances clarity without erasing complexity.

If you’re curious about your own relationship with technology—and how it intersects with mental health, identity, and balance—let’s talk.

At A Key Therapy, we explore not just how you manage your life, but how you live it.