Because I have no experience with coding or programming (are those the same?), creating shortcuts with the Shortcuts app has been well beyond my technical abilities. But with Claude’s help, I was able to create a very simple shortcut that generates a blog template. I share this not because I created the shortcut, but to make the point that AI will enable many people to do things with their computers that would otherwise be beyond them.
Now…off to write that blog article. 
I did the same a while ago with creating a variable packing list with options using Claude, and created some shortcuts to doing some things manually Vibe coding - Second thoughts
e.g. if I plan to travel internationally, I need to pack my passport, if my wife is travelling with me, I need chargers for her devices.
Before I did this, I loaded Taskpaper into OmniFocus and deleted the groups of tasks I didn’t need.
Claude made some things up which I had to question it about, but we got there eventually.
I took a simpler approach, one list for domestic travel, another for international. There is not that much difference in my case; mainly documents and international chargers, snacks (for 14" hour flights, and more cloths.
My quality background kicks in here though. if you want to change, you then have to remember to update both lists.
With one variable list, you only have to update one.
That’s true!
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I now use Claude Code regularly to write Bash and Python scripts to help me get things done. An example: I was using Permute to join and transcode an enormous library of media files one by one. As a project, it was a nice-to-have, but not worth the investment of time and attention. I explained what I wanted done to Claude, gave it the necessary permissions, and I now have a Bash script that uses ffmpeg to chug through the project in the background while I do other things. Now that Claude Code is a tab in the Claude desktop app, it’s accessible to anyone who’s not comfortable working at the command line.
I did learn the basics of programming 40 years ago when I was getting my MBA (including Assembly of all things) and have no doubt that I could develop enough proficiency to do this myself, but why? I’ve taken a look at the actuarial tables and have decided I’d rather squander my remaining neurons on other things.
I’m not sure what Claude does – I use ChatGPT – but one of the downsides with Shortcuts is that it can’t provide you with the actual shortcut, even though it “thinks,” that it can; only pseudo-code on the action steps required. Additionally, in my experience, ChatGPT hallucinates quite badly on available actions/parameters available within Shortcuts.
Having said that, I’ve learnt a lot on Shortcuts from ChatGPT. But again, that’s “learnt,” opposed to outsourced to it to do the actual work. So, yes, it can be helpful – my longest shortcut is now 132 steps! – but compared to the ease with which it can knock up, say, JavaScript or AppleScript for the low level stuff I’m doing, it’s all a bit clunky when it comes to Shortcuts. As I say, just my experience.
This has similar issues on Claude, sometimes it gets the concept right, but not the actual right syntax or command.
It all goes to show that – somewhat ironically – with LLMs, there are no shortcuts in making Shortcuts’ shortcuts.