Although AI tools can be really useful for completing tasks, I don’t think you should use something just because it’s AI. Each time I need to use these AI programs, I find the best tools for the job with a similar protocol.
1
Understanding the Task at Hand
Knowing what I need AI to do is always a prerequisite. Picking anything for the sake of it has never worked for me; if anything, it’s resulted in me needing to spend more time fixing issues.
If I’m writing, for example, I want an AI tool that can help me find spelling errors. The software gets bonus points if it also provides readability suggestions, which is why I think Grammarly is an absolute must for any writer.
Photo editing would be another example. The tool I use for retouching is very different from the one I use for background removal. Once I know what to do, I can narrow my options more effectively.
Many AI tools are worth a premium subscription fee, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. While I’ve stopped using free AI tools for the most part, they can occasionally do the job I need.
Understanding if I need something free or paid is quite simple. Once I’ve understood the task and narrowed down my options, I can look at each platform’s free plans (if they have one). I’m more than happy to upgrade to a premium subscription if needed.
Many premium apps also have free trials, which I can use if the job I need is a one-off.
3
Checking Online Reviews
Though I’ve tried many great AI tools (many of which I still use today), I have also experimented with many bad ones. Because of this, I don’t blindly believe product descriptions. Instead, I’d rather do my own research.
I check customer reviews before committing to any free or paid tool. These, in my opinion, are often the best ways to determine if something will meet my needs. I’m also wary of finding fake and useless reviews, so I try to use a critical eye.
Besides customer reviews, I look at videos and articles. I can often tell when these are genuine; if I’m happy with what others have said, I’ll try using the AI tool for my required job.
Despite my comprehensive knowledge of AI tools, I occasionally encounter tasks where I haven’t used the technology before. Since I have no idea what to use, I do even deeper research to find what I’m looking for.
I use a mixture of AI and search engines to find useful AI software. Perplexity is great for these kinds of searches, and I think that a Perplexity Pro subscription is worth the money for this (and other) reasons. A prompt like “free ai tools for [task]” is often good enough to yield results.
I’ll also search on Google to cover all my bases. The same search term as my Perplexity Prompt normally helps me find what I want. Google sometimes uses Gemini to summarize, and I see tabbed summaries at the top for some searches.
Testing any new tool is vital for ensuring that it’ll do the job you want it to. I throw each software into the deep end by seeing how it performs with the specific task I need it to assist with.
If the first app I try does what I need it to, I normally don’t see a point in using the others as well. I might keep those tools in mind for future tasks, but no app is perfect; doing the same thing with another is a waste of time (normally).
With so many AI tools, knowing where to start is hard. Doing comprehensive research is normally the best way to get the best results, and I use a mixture of AI and search to find unfamiliar apps. Once I’ve got an idea of what I want, I’ll test the software.
