The Ultimate AI Toolbox: 35+ Essential Tools Redefining Life As We Know It
The new year is upon us, and sadly, some people are already sick of it. It also doesn’t help that this time of year is often terribly cold. No sane man would willingly leave the comfort of their warm blanket and choose to be productive if they didn’t have pressing bills and needs.
Thankfully for us, artificial intelligence is here to make our lives easier. The recent rise of AI has also given rise to the fear that technology will make humans jobless. However, would that be so bad? Personally, we would love to live like the idle humans from WALL-E! Living in a luxurious starliner and letting machines do everything for us would be a dream come true!
Making that a reality is not really possible. However, AI tools can give us a glimpse of all the possibilities. Hence, for this listicle, we have compiled a list of essential ones that you could incorporate into your life.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is definitely the most well-known AI tool. It deserves its rapid fame as it’s one of the easiest tools. Be it explaining complex subjects, brainstorming, or any other of its wonderful features, all you need to do is type a prompt in the chat box, and the bot will do the rest.
ChatGPT functions based on a large language model, which enables the chatbot to generate descriptive answers. The free 3.5 version is extremely useful; we bet you already use it. However, the ChatGPT 4 subscription can analyze voice and images aside from text commands.
Bard
Google is incapable of sitting back when a new technological innovation occurs. Hence, it was not very surprising when the corporation dipped its toe into the pool of AI after ChatGPT exploded online. Bard was Google’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Initially, Bard used the same LLM technology as ChatGPT. But Google later developed and upgraded to Gemini, which enabled Bard to generate answers that could mimic human creativity. Bard is coveted highly due to its ability to produce poetry, short stories, lyrics, and other creative compositions.
Snapchat’s My AI
As a certified trendsetter, Snapchat refused to miss out on the ongoing AI craze. They recently released the My AI bot, which acts like a chat option. Once users download the Snapchat app and log in, they can use My AI for free.
While My AI may not help you do complicated research for a Ph.D. thesis, it’ll help you plan a birthday party and even find your mom a present for Mother’s Day. However, it should be used with caution. Snapchat itself admitted that it’s an experimentation bot and prone to giving wrong answers, so tread carefully!
Bing Chat
Bing is often considered inferior to the giant that is Google. The average person prefers the latter because it offers better search results. Meanwhile, Bing glorifies official websites, which means they get less traffic. However, Bing might finally get the chance to beat Google at something.
Their AI model, Bing Chat, is a powerful tool that can help with sophisticated research and detailed creative works. Bing uses GPT 4, just like the paid subscription of ChatGPT-4. However, unlike OpenAI, Bing Chat is free, and users can have up to 300 conversations per day.
DALL-E
This is yet another tool by OpenAI. The birth of AI has provoked ire among artists who believe that AI is plagiarizing their work and robbing them of their livelihood. Well, they are not wrong. AI image generators combine and manipulate pictures from the internet in order to cater to the user’s prompt.
DALL-E did nothing to quell artists’ fear and rage. In fact, the free AI image generator is so good that illustrators are genuinely worried. That said, some artists use DALL-E to create visuals for their concepts, marketing teams can use it in ad campaigns, and it can also help create visual aids, among other things.
Midjourney
DALL-E might be the king of image-generating AI right now, but Midjourney pioneered this endeavor. In the words of Gen Z, Midjourney walked so DALL-E could run. Both AI tools work almost identically and just as efficiently. With a descriptive prompt, you will have the image of your choice in seconds.
Despite being similar, there are some differences. Midjourney specializes in generating extremely realistic photos. Meanwhile, DALL-E generates simpler yet more accurate photos. Another noticeable difference is that DALL-E has a free version, unlike Midjourney. That said, it is worth the money.
Stable Diffusion
OpenAI is currently the king of AI in our time. A big reason for this is the company’s experimentational nature and willingness to let users try their products for free. Just like DALL-E, Stable Diffusion is also an image-generating platform made by OpenAI.
However, there are certain differences between Stable Diffusion, DALL-E, and Midjourney. Midjourney is simple as it is catered towards individual users, while Stable Diffusion is targeted towards businesses. Both produce realistic photos, but the latter has a learning curve as it is more customizable. On the other hand, DALL-E produces images that look hand-drawn.
Spotify’s AI DJ
It seems that everything under the sun is influenced by AI these days. Thus, it’s not surprising that the music industry has also dipped its toes into the pool of artificial intelligence. AI can not only help you generate new stuff, but it can also help you find new content you would love.
Spotify now offers a better listening experience with their new update, AI DJ. The app scans your playlists with the AI DJ in order to under your music preferences. Based on that, Spotify will suggest new music and also play your faves. Personalization wins again. This feature is only available in Spotify Premium.
Copy.ai
If you are running a business, Copy.ai is your best friend. Don’t knock it till you try it. Aside from generating accurate sales copy, digital ads, e-commerce product descriptions, and more, it can also help you make posters and even check for plagiarism.
Its premium feature is that this AI tool is completely free. Aside from being a versatile copywriting tool, Copy.ai can also produce emails suitable for the corporate environment. This AI tool also offers its services in multiple languages. Hence, it’s useful for everyone. Well, now we get why freelance writers are so worried!
Grammarly
There is a good reason why literally everyone involved in academia swears by Grammarly. After all, it’s one of the best writing assistants in the world. Grammarly had solidified itself as a useful tool after being in the game for 14 years.
However, many are unaware that it is also run with AI technology. Grammarly detects errors in papers in the blink of an eye and makes useful suggestions to improve vocabulary. After using Grammarly, your paper will read as if it was written by a Harvard graduate. Are you sold yet?
IBM Watson
It is criminally offensive how underrated IBM Watson is. This is one of the most efficient and formidable AI tools. We all know about the mega tech corporation that is IBM. Their AI launch happened more than 12 years ago.
However, the recent meteoric rise of artificial intelligence pushed IBM Watson to the limelight. This AI is the holy grail of any business. Watson dissects and deciphers natural language and syntax in order to generate realistic answers that are beneficial, especially for business ventures.
TensorFlow
This is a lesser-known innovation of Google. Nonetheless, it is still just as useful as the others we have mentioned. TensorFlow is famous for its deep learning application. This AI will become your best friend if you are into programming and developing.
TensorFlow can train your model as well as help you develop it through its deep-learning technology. It also provides an open-source library that anyone can access for free. TensorFlow is likely the best tool for dataflow programming and quantum machine learning.
PyTorch
After Google came up with something, how could their nemesis, Mark Zuckerberg, bear to sit and watch? Hence, Meta came up with PyTorch soon after TensorFlow hit the market. If you are a fan of TensorFlow, you might want to give PyTorch a try.
As the name suggests, this application excels in Python. Just like TensorFlow, PyTorch functions with a deep learning process. Despite coming out later, the latter gained the attention and praise of AI researchers. Since it’s written in Python, PyTorch is comparatively more user-friendly.
Keras
It would be criminal to talk about TensorFlow and PyTorch without mentioning Keras. These three are, after all, the best friends of anyone who is interested in building deep-learning models. Keras, just like TensorFlow, is also a product of Google.
However, out of the three, Keras is undoubtedly the most beginner-friendly. If you want to test the waters of deep learning, now is your chance since Keras is free. After mastering Keras, you can dip your toes into the other two, which are more suitable for professional and research purposes.
Scikit-learn
Despite existing for 16 years, Scikit-learn garnered mass traction only recently, and we think it is such a shame. After their relaunch back in October of 2023, the software found the limelight it deserves. This AI is also designed for Python.
Just like PyTorch, Scikit-learn is a machine learning AI. However, it has some key differences. The company claims that its product is capable of classifying, regressing, and clustering algorithms. Hence, this is a very beneficial tool for data analysis and modeling.
Hugging Face
Do not let that sweet, smiley face fool you. This AI tool is one of the best programs in the market for natural language processing. In fact, according to some, it’s the best hub for all things related to artificial intelligence.
It is an open-source library that develops new tools with machine learning. The best part is that this platform is not only a hub for creation and learning but also a community that allows users to share their new ideas. Hugging Face actually deserves a hug!
OpenCV
OpenCV truly deserves the adoration it receives from its users. If you want to process images and execute computer vision tasks, then look no further than OpenCV. The users of this AI claim that it has one of the best machine learning modules.
OpenCV is also very efficient at prototyping with high-level APIs. This will surely give the users a lot of valuable time. Aside from processing still images, it also works well with videos. Hence, we recommend you give this AI a try.
Fast.ai
Jeremy Howard and Rachel Thomas were not kidding when they named this AI tool. It is indeed fast. Even those who know nothing about deep learning can use this program to take the first step. AI experts highly recommend it for beginners.
Once learners get the gist of how deep learning works, they can pair it with other tools like PyTorch and TensorFlow to generate powerful and creative projects. Fast.ai offers all kinds of free courses for beginners and even expert coders.
Caffe
No, it doesn’t help you get into coffee production. Disappointing but true. Jokes aside, Caffe is actually the abbreviation for Convolutional Architecture for Fast Feature Embedding. This AI is recommended for computer science students and basically everyone in technological academia.
This actually makes sense since Caffe was created by Berkeley Vision and Learning Center (BVLC). This wonderful AI is renowned for being efficient and flexible. Not only can you create new deep-learning projects with this, but you can also edit previous ones to suit your needs.
Theano
You will either love Theano or you will detest it. This depends on how much you love numbers and how good your device is. This AI tool is relatively unknown, judging from the lack of reviews online. Hence, we would like to shine some light on it.
This, too, is a Python library. While this tool was not made specifically with deep learning in mind, it can work just fine since Theano helps users build programs from scratch. The mathematical nature of Theano makes the sky the limit for programmers.
Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit
Microsoft is undoubtedly the biggest technological corporation in the world. As such, there is no way they would simply sit back and watch as the rest of the players ventured into artificial intelligence. Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit is Bill Gates’ response to the meteoric rise of AI.
The Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit, AKA CNTK (Microsoft Cognitive Network Toolkit), offers its users deep learning and machine learning facilities for free. This tool can easily process natural language in order to analyze data for commercial purposes and also detect anomalies.
Apache Mahout
Most artificial intelligence enthusiasts have never heard of Apache Mahout, and that pains us deeply. From this listicle, you can already tell that there is no shortage of AI programs that can provide users with an open-source machine-learning library.
Apache Mahout was most certainly one of the first ones to enter the game, as it was first released in 2009. They relaunched themselves back in 2020. This AI tool is best known for its scalable machine learning algorithms and its vibrant community where other users can connect.
Weka
It is ironic how Weka AI was named after a flightless bird native to New Zealand because, in the span of 2 years after joining the industry, the company rose to unprecedented levels. Currently, Weka AI is worth nearly a billion dollars!
Weka allows its users to mine data through various methods and is quite useful for data analysis in academia and research. While it has been praised for being user-friendly, some people have complained that the learning curve for this AI is cumbersome. Also, Weka is not the best tool for Python.
RapidMiner
RapidMiner is a close companion for anyone who likes working on databases. It doesn’t matter what kind of database it is. Be it SQL Server, Informix, MySQL, or Oracle —- RapidMiner can help you regardless. If you would like to try it out, there’s a free version available.
This platform can analyze and predict data accurately, and as a result, it’s quite revered in academic sectors. Training the AI over and over made it intuitive and the perfect companion for beginner users. Sadly, its premium version is very expensive.
KNIME
If you are a data science major, quickly get a subscription to KNIME. This will help you tremendously in the long run. You can thank us later. This amazing AI tool can offer its users all kinds of services, such as data preparation, machine learning, deep learning, text mining, and predictive analytics.
Those who work with digital data swear by this platform. It has numerous clients it has been serving for years. If you are looking for a platform that can provide you with all things data, look no further than KNIME.
DataRobot
Just like most other programs on this listicle, DataRobot also excels in machine learning models. What sets it apart, however, is that it makes things much less complicated and accessible for the average person. Hence, it’s a cheap and efficient option for individuals or businesses.
They have an automated machine learning technology that can build, train, and process models for their users. This service can also easily scale API endpoints. Clearly, there is a good reason why this AI tool is rated 4.4 out of 5.
H20
H20 is another go-to tool for those involved in data science. They were not kidding when they named this AI after water. It is, after all, as easy as drinking water. Anyone with the slightest idea of how to navigate a computer can easily use this service.
It should be noted that both H20 and DataRobot are very similar as they both specialize in data science. They are also both rated 4.4 out of 5. Many data scientists have commented that this tool has the best drag-and-drop tool.
Alteryx
Alteryx is yet another AI tool that is targeted towards data scientists. Dare we say, passing the data science major has never been easier. The only prevailing fear is that these tools might steal away the jobs of actual human data scientists. To that, we say, upskill, and never say die!
Compared to the two AI tools mentioned above, Alteryx is rated slightly lower (4.2 out of 5). However, do not underestimate their services. Those who try it often swear by it, and it’s understandable. They make data automation easy as pie.
Dataiku
Dataiku is rather unknown despite being a decade-old addition to the AI Hall of Fame. However, things are looking up for them since it is rated a whopping 4.7 out of 5 online. Dataiku, too, caters to the data scientists of the world.
Clearly, this tool has a lot of potential. Most users claim that it’s very user-friendly and comprehensible. They also note that this tool is good at executing repetitive tasks. On a negative note, however, they also commented that conjoining new sources is very difficult.
Ideogram
Wow, just look at that. Don’t all the colors make you want to pack your bag and fly off to Coachella? You can tell that these guys know the importance of color theory, especially in the line of work they’re in. The functions of this AI are just as festive as its creations.
It is similar to Dall-E and Midjourney in the sense that it generates art content based on natural language text commands. However, Ideogram is unique since it can create superior-quality typography and help artists come up with new ideas. Just type in a prompt and watch your idea come to life!
Tableau
You may have already heard of this company. They are, after all, more than two decades old. Since the beginning, the company has specialized in data visualization and databases. However, after the meteoric rise of AI, they have reached new heights.
In simpler words, Tableau helps the user arrange written data in a visual format so that it’s easier to understand and analyze. If you have a business, you should definitely invest in their service as it will make your life much easier.
QlikView
We are well aware that we have already suggested many AI tools to business ventures. However, this time, we will especially insist on it since QlikView was, from the beginning, meant for people in business. They have self-service bi capabilities.
This enables small businesses to process and analyze data all by themselves without hiring expensive accountants. Not only is it cost-efficient and self-reliant, but it also broadens connections of its users through their community. Currently, the company is worth 750 million dollars.
Power BI
Despite its misleading name, Power BI is not solely catered to the bisexual community (although nothing is stopping them from using their services). This AI produces and designs dashboards for anyone who needs it. It has the most trending Visuals in the market.
The company claims that Power BI is an efficient and affordable dashboard generator. They always provide their clients with satisfactory and visually appealing API results. Currently rated a solid 4.5 out of 5, this AI tool vouches for its reliability. It will help create immersive visuals and insights from all the unrelated data you have.
SageMaker
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, being the man who literally tried to leave the planet because he had too much money to spend in one lifetime, obviously wouldn’t just sit back quietly and watch his competitors wreak havoc in the tech industry.
He also wanted a piece of the action! Hence, Amazon came up with its own AI tool. No, this is not a shopping assistant (although we are pretty sure they’ve designed something like that already). This one targets data scientists who require machine learning model services.
DeepMind
This is yet another one of Google’s take on artificial intelligence. It is not the first one in the listicle (this is actually the third), and we doubt it will be the last. Google is obsessed with covering every sector of knowledge. Well, it pays well, so we can’t blame them.
Deepmind is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. — of which Google happens to be the parent company. This AI’s most notable achievement was creating AlphaGo, which is a fun board game. DeepMind’s mission is to “solve intelligence and then use that to solve everything else.” Well, they try.
OpenAI GPT-3
Apologies. We are not done with ChatGPT and its useful variants yet because it seems the rest of the world is not done either. The more time passes by, the more we become obsessed with this free application. It is likely the most user-friendly AI in the world.
As long as you know how to read and write, you will be able to use any of OpenAI’s products, especially ChatGPT 3. This version also required natural language text commands in order to produce cohesive and descriptive essays for free. Its latter versions are definitely better, though.
Replika
Replika is unique from all of the AI tools above as it is somehow connected to generating content through analysis, rationalizing, and calculation. It, however, cares for none of these and instead focuses on human emotions in order to offer people comfort.
Postmodern times are, unfortunately, the loneliest time in humanity. Despite having the technology to stay, we have never been more disconnected. Hence, Replika is an emotional support AI that allows you to chat with it as you would a human friend. It’s marketed as an AI friend and helps monitor your personal well-being.
Duolingo
Ah, yes, the friendly green owl of wisdom. There are many language learning applications in the market. However, very few are as efficient and user-friendly as Duolingo. This AI has become so popular that international students can use it to assess their skills instead of IELTS!
The AI app offers its users free and easy daily lessons. Based on the learner’s linguistic needs, the app can modify the lessons to suit their capacity. Aside from more than 100 languages, you can also learn fictional languages such as High Valyrian from Duolingo. Isn’t that just awesome?
Blue River Technology
There is an AI tool for everything. If you haven’t found it yet, just wait a few weeks. Someone will surely come up with it. For example, this particular AI tool is centered on farmers and basically anyone who is involved with agriculture.
The mission of this AI is to monitor crops and make suggestions in order to cultivate a fruitful harvest. Blue River Technology has a ‘see and spray’ tech that monitors the plants and applies pesticides or fertilizer to the plants based on their individual needs.
AI Dungeon
No, this AI will not throw you in prison (although some of you probably deserve it). This is yet another one of OpenAI’s unique experiments. Dare we say, it is currently one of the best products the company has released.
You can find this game on Steam and try it out. We guarantee you will like it. We do not want to spoil the premise of the game too much, but basically, you interact with the game just like you do with ChatGPT. However, your conversation will create a unique storyline. It’s quite the adventure.
Ada AI Chatbot
Are you sick and tired of working your minimum-wage job? Are you also repulsed by the influx of Karens and Kevins in your territory? In that case, Ada AI Chatbot is made just for you. With this device, you will no longer have to interact with pesky customers.
This chatbot will interact with customers on your behalf. The best thing is that it speaks very professionally. Hence, there is very little chance for Karen to ruin your day. With this tool, you can conduct your business peacefully and seamlessly.
UiPath
AI is an introvert’s paradise. Useful tools like these will one day help us retire in luxury, and we cannot wait for that day. UiPath uses a technology called Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to keep track of various human affairs.
This is basically your manager and supervisor whom you pay much less than a human. These devices help their user maintain workers and their workflow as well as streamline other business-related aspects. They might even replace your pesky HR if you insist enough!
Vivino
We are one sip away from becoming full-fledged alcoholics, and Vivino is doing nothing to help us. We were not kidding when we said that there is an AI bot for everything. Vivino is the tool that will help you find good wine for your date night.
This bot observes your diet and previous wine trials in order to curate a personalized wine-tasting menu for you. They can also suggest what kind of cheese, fruits, or any other side dish that pairs well with the wine of your choice. It’s a bona fide connoisseur.
Zoox
Not even cars are safe from the glory of artificial intelligence. Zoox specializes in automobile vehicles. More specifically, those that can drive themselves. However, please do not mistake Zoox for a glorified Uber app. It is so much more than that.
This AI can help its users navigate self-driving cars, and it is also capable of summoning robotaxis, which are also self-driven. If you think it’s a genius idea, you are not the only one. Jeff Bezos thought so, too. Hence, Amazon acquired the company in 2020.
Zoom.ai
As someone with crippling ADHD, you have no idea how much of a life-saving grace this AI bot is. If the powers that be could not keep us in line, maybe technology can. If this product still does not work for you, worry not. Something will.
This bot helps individuals as well as a group of people regulate themselves through scheduling and reminders. It can also produce emails on your behalf. Zoom AI helps you stay in line while documenting every single aspect of your job accurately.