Focused guides to AI assistants, research, creative tools, coding, and automation. Start with a small task before paying for a new service.
16 guides
Prompting & everyday tools
ChatGPT is a conversational AI assistant for explaining, drafting, researching, and working with supplied material. Start with a small task whose facts you know. Available tools and account limits vary, so confirm what your current session can actually access or do.
Research & knowledge tools
Claude is an AI assistant from Anthropic for tasks including writing, analysis, coding, and research. A useful first exercise is turning a short document into a clear brief with traceable facts. Keep source passages and your own interpretation separate.
Prompting & everyday tools
Gemini is Google’s conversational AI assistant. It can help with explanations, writing, and other tasks, with connected-app capabilities depending on account, device, and settings. Begin with a self-contained request before granting access to additional services.
Research & knowledge tools
Google’s source-based notebook helps you ask questions about a selected collection of documents and other supported material. Its current help pages use the Gemini Notebook name. Use source citations to inspect the evidence, and remember that a generated overview can still omit or misinterpret important details.
Research & knowledge tools
Perplexity combines conversational answers with web search and source links. It can help you discover and compare material quickly. Treat the response as a research starting point: open the cited pages, check dates, and verify that the evidence supports the actual conclusion.
Prompting & everyday tools
Microsoft uses the Copilot name across a conversational assistant and features inside Microsoft 365 applications. The available experience depends on the product, account, and subscription. Identify the exact version before assuming it can work in Word, Excel, Outlook, or another application.
Engineering & coding
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that can offer code suggestions, answer questions, and support development workflows. Use it with a clear specification and a way to verify changes. It is a separate product from Microsoft’s general Copilot chat experience.
Engineering & coding
Ollama provides a way to run and use language models, including local models on supported computers. Start with a model that fits your hardware and a small text task. Confirm whether your chosen model runs locally or uses a cloud service before treating the workflow as private or offline.
Images, video & audio
Canva combines a design editor with AI-assisted creative tools. It is useful when you need a finished layout with editable text, not just a generated picture. Start from the required format, then check readability, facts, and export settings before sharing.
Images, video & audio
Adobe Firefly provides generative creative tools, including image creation and editing. It can help explore a visual idea or modify a composition. Keep factual details under review, and check the specific model and terms used for an output rather than assuming every option has identical conditions.
Images, video & audio
Midjourney generates visual material from prompts and supports iterative refinement. It is useful for exploring composition, atmosphere, and visual direction. A generated picture is not an editable 3D model or a technically validated design.
Images, video & audio
ElevenLabs offers AI voice and audio tools, including text-to-speech. A practical first project is narrating a short original passage with a standard available voice. Edit the script first, check pronunciation, and provide a transcript for readers who prefer text.
Images, video & audio
Synthesia provides tools for creating videos with AI presenters and voiceovers. It can help turn an approved explanation into a short training piece. The script, supporting visuals, captions, and final review determine whether the video is useful and accurate.
Agents & automation
Make connects applications into visual workflows and can incorporate AI steps. Start with sample data and a result that stays internal, such as a draft summary. Define the trigger, allowed actions, error handling, and review point before making a workflow live.
Agents & automation
Zapier connects applications through workflows built around triggers and actions. AI can be included when a step needs to interpret text or generate a draft. Begin with a simple internal workflow, then test exceptions and costs before using it with live customers.
Images, video & audio
Blender is a 3D creation application with Python scripting. An AI assistant can help write scripts that you review and run inside Blender. Direct AI control requires a separate compatible integration; a chatbot conversation alone does not establish a connection to your computer or Blender projects.
