AI Tool Guide
New AI tools show up every month, but you actually need very few of them. This chapter isn't meant to list them all. It's here to help you pick the one or two in each category that are "good enough," and then get really comfortable with them.
Pick just one main chat assistant and use it for two full weeks. Signing up for five accounts and dabbling in each one is the most common way beginners get stuck.
Start with this table: what you want to do, and where to go
| What you want to do | Type of tool to try | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Ask anything, use it as an all-purpose helper | Chat assistant | Choosing a chat assistant |
| Write emails, write copy, polish your writing | Chat assistant (+ writing tools) | Prompt Library |
| Read long documents, summarize reports | A chat assistant that handles long documents | Tool comparison chart |
| Make a presentation | AI presentation tool | See "Presentations and documents" below |
| Create or edit images | AI image tool | See "Images" below |
| Edit videos, add voiceovers or subtitles | AI video and audio tools | See "Video and audio" below |
| Look things up, do research | AI with web search | See "Research and search" below |
| Organize your own notes and files | AI notes / knowledge base | See "Notes and knowledge bases" below |
| Build a small tool or web page | Vibe coding tools | Vibe Coding for Beginners |
Chat assistants (the most important category)
This is where you'll spend 80% of your time. The three big names each have their own personality:
- ChatGPT (OpenAI) — The most complete ecosystem with the most add-ons and features. It's the most versatile, and the safest bet for beginners.
- Claude (Anthropic) — Stands out at handling long documents and has a natural feel for writing. Its answers are clearly organized, so it suits people who read and write a lot.
- Gemini (Google) — Deeply connected to Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive. It feels the most seamless if you already live in Google's apps.
A few others worth knowing: Copilot (for the Microsoft world), Perplexity (focused on looking things up), and each company's mobile app.
→ Full advice on choosing: Choosing a chat assistant
Research and search
Use this category when your question needs up-to-date information or sources you can check:
- Perplexity — Includes source citations in its answers. Great for looking things up and doing your homework.
- Search mode in chat assistants — Most major assistants now have built-in search. Remember to turn it on yourself.
- Deep Research features — Let the AI spend anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour or more putting together a report with citations.
Having search doesn't mean it can't be wrong. Always actually click the cited links and check them. This is where people most often get burned.
Presentations and documents
- Gamma — Type a few lines of outline and it builds a whole slide deck. Easy to revise, and good for internal proposals and course materials.
- Canva AI — Lots of design assets, great for marketing materials that need to look good.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot / Google Workspace — Work with AI right inside Word, PowerPoint, Docs, and Slides.
A practical workflow: First use a chat assistant to nail down the "content and logic," then hand it to a presentation tool for layout. If you ask a presentation tool to come up with the content itself, you usually get something beautiful but empty.
Images
- Midjourney — The most striking visuals. Good for concept art and exploring visual styles.
- Built-in image generation in chat assistants — Convenient, no extra account needed, and good enough for everyday illustrations.
- Canva / Adobe Firefly — Full set of practical editing features like removing backgrounds, extending images, and retouching.
Before using images for business purposes, be sure to check the service's licensing terms and where its training data comes from. Services differ a lot in what they allow when it comes to "commercial use of generated content."
Video and audio
- Subtitles and transcription — Turning meeting recordings into transcripts and adding automatic subtitles to videos. Right now this is the most mature use and gives you the most bang for your buck.
- AI video editing tools — Automatically cut out filler words and create short clips.
- Voice generation — Create narration and audio content.
Tip for beginners: Start with "transcribe a meeting recording, then have AI summarize it." Almost every office worker can use this one.
Notes and knowledge bases
- NotebookLM — Upload your own documents and the AI answers based only on them, with sources. Low risk of hallucination.
- Notion AI — The smoothest option if you already use Notion. Combines writing help with your databases.
- Obsidian + AI plugins — For people who care about storing files on their own computer and about privacy.
This category is the starting point for Workflows & Automation, and also one of the most effective ways to reduce hallucinations.
Translation
- DeepL — Widely recognized for excellent translation between European languages, with a simple interface.
- Chat assistants — You can specify the tone, audience, and purpose (for example, "translate this into a formal business letter for a Japanese client"). Far more flexible than traditional translation tools.
Tip: Give context when translating, for example: "This is an apology letter to a client. Please use the level of politeness expected in Japanese business correspondence."
Four principles for choosing tools
- Solve the problem first, then pick the tool — Work backward from "what do I need to get done this week," not forward from a list of tools.
- Use the free version until you hit a wall — Only pay when you're truly blocked by usage limits or missing features. That usually happens much later than you'd think.
- Change one thing at a time — When switching tools, keep everything else the same so you can tell what made the difference.
- Check where your data goes — When company data is involved, first check the service's data-use policy. See Safety & Judgment.
AI tools change their features and plans extremely quickly, so this site doesn't list specific prices to avoid misleading you. Please check each service's official website for current details.