As artificial intelligence experiences a new spring, kickstarted by the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, AI-enabled technologies have become a staple of our daily lives – and for good reason.
By automating manual processes, AI tools help us to work faster, and smarter. In fact, results from our own report reveal that 72% of workers who use AI extensively report high levels of productivity. However, with so many AI tools littering app stores, separating the wheat from the chaff isn’t always easy.
Whether you’re looking to streamline processes with task managers or create powerful copy with content writers, we round up nine AI tools designed to boost productivity, broken down into their different uses. Read on to take a look at our top picks — including their price point and features – or jump to a specific tool using the links below.
9 AI Tools to Boost Your Productivity
AI tools take up the leg work, leaving you to focus on more important tasks. Take a look at our top picks, and their USPs below.
Best AI Chatbots
If you’re limiting yourself to one AI tool, we’d recommend using AI chatbots. The generative AI apps are trained on vast quantities of data, giving them basically limitless applications. Take a look at our favorites below.
1. ChatGPT
- Best multi-purpose chatbot
- Key use cases: Translating copy, creating content, data analysis, email composing, coding
- Price from: Free
If you’re after a versatile AI tool, look no further than ChatGPT. OpenAI’s chatbot kickstarted the AI boom back in 2022, spawning an army of copycats. However, in most ways the originator still remains undefeated, thanks in part to its powerful GPT language model, comparatively large context window, and impressive language options.
ChatGPT Advances is now powered by it’s sophisticated GPT-4 model. Source: Tech.co’s testing
The chatbots LLM GPT-4 – available to ChatGPT Plus users – is trained on a much larger data set than Google’s Gemini (1.1.7 trillion parameters compared to 540 billion), making it more capable of responding to a wider variety of queries. This makes it more useful to users looking for a jack-of-all-trades tool with multiple uses.
ChatGPT is also excellent at learning from the conversations it has with people, making it useful for tasks like getting to grips with a new language. However, despite improvements being made in the field, ChatGPT isn’t as strong as its competition when it comes to numerical tasks like coding and math equations.
The chatbot is available to users for free. However, to access GPT-4 and to use additional tools like DALL-E and advanced data analysis, you’ll need to upgrade to its Plus ($20 per month), Team ($25 per month) or Enterprise plan. However, we have found a few ways you can access GPT-4 for free.
2. Gemini
- Best for coding and research
- Key use cases: Image generation, text summarization, coding, mathematics problem solving, conducting research
- Price from: Free
Google’s recently rebranded Gemini (formerly Bard) is an extremely capable AI chatbot, and its offering is constantly evolving too. The chatbot recently switched its LLM to Gemini Ultra, improving its numerical capabilities and making it more adept at tasks like coding and mathematics.
Gemini’s powerful LLM model makes it excellent at producing copy and summarizing test. Souce: Tech.co testing
Gemini Ultra, which is currently only available to Gemini Advanced users, outperforms GPT-4 in a number of other areas too. Its enhanced multimodel understanding makes Gemini stronger at image generation and voice data comprehension. Gemini’s access to the real-time internet makes it a more reliable source of information for research and learning purposes as well.
While the chatbot may still be prone to the occasional hallucination, its seamless integration with the Google Workspace will undoubtedly make it a better alternative for many teams too. Like ChatGPT, the chatbot currently offers a free version, as well as a Advanced tier that costs $19.99 per month.
3. Claude
- Best for reviewing large documents
- Key use cases: Organising transcripts, analyzing large files, conducting research, summarizing articles
- Price from: Free
Founded by AI research lab Anthropic in 2021, Claude is a capable chatbot that prides itself on being “harmless” and maintaining a “high degree of reliability and predictability” when responding to user queries. While it may not boast the processing power of more established chatbots, it’s unique input features separate it from the crowd.
Unlike rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini, Claude lets you upload files by clicking the attachment button. Users are able to upload up to five files at a time, up to a limit of 10MB each. Aside from automatically summarizing the content, Claude is capable of learning from the files and using the information to aid future queries.
Claude also lets you submit links and summarize online articles. This is a huge boon for users looking to quickly sum up lengthy articles for research purposes. However, like Gemini, Claude can be subject to the odd hallucination, so it’s worth fact-checking any information you’re unsure of.
Claude is available for free, but if you want to benefit from the chatbot’s recently released Claude 3 AI model you’ll need to pay $20 per month for its Claude Pro plan.
Best AI Transcription Tools
Manual transcription is a thankless task. By adopting AI tools, you’re able to transcribe audio recordings automatically and unlock extra features like text translation and summarization. Take a look at our top picks.
4. Otter AI
- Best for transcribing work and school calls
- Key use cases: Transcribing audio, playing back meetings, summarizing calls, identifying speakers
- Price from: Free
OtterAI is a user-friendly AI meeting assistant that lets you record, transcribe, and summarize meetings in real time. The tool integrates with web conferencing platforms like Google Meet and Zoom, allowing users to access audio without switching between apps. Its free plan is very generous too, letting users transcribe 300 minutes of audio per month, from three audio and video files.
Otter AI lets you transcribe 300 minutes of audio or video content for free each month. Source: Otter.ai
Otter AI also lets you chat with other teammates for free, helping you to collaborate more efficiently. Alternatively, If you’re happy to invest in a transcriber, its Pro plan ($10 per month) lets users transcribe 1200 minutes of content per month, from up to 10 audio or video files, and access advanced features like advanced search and playback.
5. Riverside
- Best for transcribing interviews
- Key use cases: Transcribing complex audio with multiple speakers, translating audio, editing audio, identifying different speakers
- Price from: Free
Riverside is an audio and video-to-text transcriber that claims to transcribe content with 99% efficiency, making it a great option for users relying on accurate transcript, such as those working in law, real estate or finance.
Riverside transcribes content with up to 99% efficiency. Source: Riverside
Its speaker differentiation feature, which automatically differentiates between speakers in transcriptions, makes it a great tool for transcribing interviews and other conversational speaking situations where involving multiple participants.
Riverside’s free plan is a lot more limited than Otter AI’s however, only allowing for two hours of audio and video on a one-off basis. This means that users looking to get the most out of Riverside are better off paying for its Standard ($15 per month), or Pro plan ($24 per month).
Best AI Content Writers
AI content writers help you streamline content creation by assisting with ideation, copy creation, editing, and more. If you’re interested in getting the ball rolling with smart AI-powered software, take a look at our top choices below.
6. Jasper
- Best for producing longer form content
- Key use cases: Creating engaging long-form copy, improving existing copy, generating content ideas, revising and analyzing documents
- Price from: $49 per month
Previously known as Jarvis AI, Jasper is an excellent AI writing tool that helps users create a wide variety of content including documents, product descriptions, blog posts, and more. In addition to its useful content templates, the tool is also able to revise existing copy to make it more creative and engaging.
Jasper.ai lets offers a wide range of templates for users looking to create or improve existing content. Source: Jasper.ai
Jasper’s long-form assistant makes it especially great for users looking to create or revamp longer pieces of copy like articles, and documents. Jasper’s inbuilt grammar checker, plagiarism, and SEO tools ensure your content is high quality, and discoverable too, which gives the tool a huge advantage over its rivals.
Jaspers’s feature-rich software comes at a price though. The tool doesn’t currently offer a free plan, meaning that to reap its benefits you’ll need to invest $39 per month for its Creator plan, or $59 per month for Jasper.ai Pro.
7. CopyAI
- Best for producing short-form content
- Key use cases: Creating engaging short-form copy, writing product descriptions, checking for plagiarism
- Price from: Free
CopyAI is another popular artificial intelligence-enabled writing tool designed to help users overcome writer’s block. The platform runs on GPT-3, supports over 25 languages, and offers over 90 writing templates (compared to the 50 offered by Jasper).
Copy.ai offers over 90 writing templates . Source: Copy.AI
It offers an excellent user experience and responds to prompts quickly, making it a good choice for users who need to produce high-quality content under tight deadlines. However, since it lacks features specialized in creating and editing long-form copy, its use is capped at short-form content creation.
Users can get started at no cost with its free plan, but to unlock unlimited credits and projects, you’ll need to fork out for its Pro ($35 per month) or Custom plan.
Best AI Scheduling Software
Scheduling software helps you use your time more wisely. By organizing your day for you, the tools leave you with more time to crack on with tasks, socialize, and find balance.
8. Trevor
- Best for simply daily scheduling
- Key use cases: Creating daily timetables, time blocking, organizing tasks, writing to-do lists
- Price from: Free
Trevor is a user-friendly daily planning app designed to help users maximize deep work and be as productive as possible. The tool’s to-do list feature gives you a full overview of your daily tasks and lets you customize it to your liking. Trevor even syncs your to-do list with Google or Microsoft Calendar to help you coordinate your schedules across platforms.
Trevor AI scheduling software lets you create customizable daily plans. Source: Trevor AI
Trevor’s time-blocking and focus mode features work in tandem to help users work for set amounts of time without distractions. Also, for users overwhelmed by lengthy to-do lists, Trevor’s software breaks tasks down tasks into 5 actionable steps to make them feel more achievable.
If you want to access advanced features like a personal AI model, recurring scheduled tasks, and personal scheduling insights, you need to upgrade to its Pro plan which costs $3.99 per month.
9. Clockwise
- Best for syncing calendars
- Key use cases: Creating daily timetables, tracking time and attendance, reducing scheduling conflicts, time blocking, syncing work and personal calendars
- Price from: $6.75 per month
Clockwise is another AI-enabled scheduling software designed to help users enhance their productivity. Like Trevor, Clockwise utilizes time blocking to let users work undisturbed for longer. However, the platform also offers advanced calendar syncing options that let users combine events in their personal and work Google calendars.
Clockwise AI lets you sync your personal and work Google Calendars. Source: Clockwise AI
Its free version is fairly comprehensive, letting you automatically discover the optimal time for your tasks and routines, schedule outside your organization, and prospect personal time for meals, travel, and more. However, if you’re using this for business purposes, we’d recommend upgrading to its Teams ($6.75 per month), Business ($11.50 per month), or Enterprise plan.
