How to choose the best AI for your needs: writing, programming, studying, video editing, and business management

How to choose the best AI for your needs? If you're trying to find your way around the world of artificial intelligence, it's normal to feel a little overwhelmed: there are hundreds of tools and a new one appears every week. The key is not to try everything, but to find the right AI for your situation: writing, programming, studying, video editing, or managing a business.

In this practical guide I'll tell you, with real examples and clear criteria, how to choose well without wasting time or money. We bring together the best of assistants, content creators, AI-powered search engines, automation, and business solutions.along with tips for comparing, integrating, and measuring impact.

How to decide which AI you need (and not fail in the attempt)

When choosing, start with the goal: Do you want to produce content faster, schedule better, study with focus, scale video, or digitize areas of your business? Without a concrete "why," the selection process becomes endless trial and error..

Second step: compare 3-5 options for each use case. Evaluate features, limits, integrations, price, and supportCheck if they offer a free trial or free plan to validate without risk.

Third step: integrate with your tools. Connections with Google Workspace, Slack, CRM, calendars, or marketing suites They make the difference between something curious and a real improvement in workflow.

Finally, measure results. Time saved, output quality, error reduction, and team adoption These are simple metrics that justify the investment.

Writing and creating content: assistants, SEO, and formats

To write fluently and maintain quality, the best assistants continue to shine. ChatGPT stands out for its versatility in writingWith free and paid plans, Google's Gemini adds a huge context window and very practical audio summaries.

If you prefer a more marketing-oriented approach, Jasper brings brand voice, templates, and marketing-focused chat.For short texts and social e-commerce, Rytr is agile and economical, while Sudowrite is a lifesaver for fiction narratives, dialogues, and plots.

When SEO comes into play, it's time to combine AI and data. Surfer SEO, SE Ranking (AI-powered Editor and Writer), MarketMuse, and Frase They assist with research, briefing, on-page optimization, and performance tracking. Their value lies in their guided editors and how they cross-reference SERPs, NLP, and search density to achieve high rankings.

If you want to avoid style mistakes, Grammarly corrects grammar, tone, and coherencewith generative AI for rapid rewriting. And to turn ideas into slides, Plus AI or Gamma generate clean presentations in minutes.

Programming and building software: copilots, IDEs, and agents

In development, the co-pilots are changing the rules. GitHub Copilot Amazon CodeWhisperer suggests contextual code.documentation, tests and even detect security problems, integrating with VS Code or IntelliJ.

If you prefer an IDE with built-in AI, Cursor is the favorite because of its understanding of the repository, dependencies, and conventionsIt's a fork of VS Code, so the learning curve is minimal for most people.

Don't program and want to launch something usable? Lovable or Builder AI allow you to create apps and sites with prompts and blocksThey don't replace a complex SaaS, but they are useful for prototypes, widgets, and working MVPs.

To automate beyond code, n8n orchestrates visual flows with hundreds of nodes and integrates APIs, while Manus acts as a multipurpose AI agent: researching, writing, designing and generating complete web artifacts.

Study, research and learn with AI

AI is also a great ally for learning. NotebookLM with Deep Research and Drive audio organizes sourcesIt generates summaries and even podcasts from your notes.Ideal for reviewing without looking at the screen. The free version offers plenty of options before upgrading to premium.

In more “heavy” research, OpenAI's Deep Research feature synthesizes sources and creates reportsIt is useful for market research, competitor analysis, or online community analysis.

If you need results with clear sources, Perplexity focuses on cited and verifiable answersAnd if you want quick answers within the Google ecosystem, the new AI Mode summarizes simple queries, although for niches it's advisable to check.

To manage internal knowledge, Notion Q&A answers questions about your wiki and Slack with citations to documentsAnd Guru brings those answers to the context where you work (CRM, chats), reducing repeated searches and doubts.

Video, image and design: from idea to final visual

For corporate videos without cameras or studios, Synthesia and HeyGen create realistic digital presenters in dozens of languagesThey are perfect for training, onboarding, or explanatory sessions when you're in a hurry and have a tight budget.

If your workflow involves text or presentations, Pictory and FlexClip turn scripts, URLs, or PPTs into videos with voiceovers and subtitles. For social media, OpusClip cuts long videos into viral clips with dynamic subtitles.

In terms of image, the palette is broad: DALL·E 3 (integrated into ChatGPT) and GPT-4o generate reliable image art and textMidjourney continues to reign in pictorial aesthetics, and Ideogram or Adobe Firefly (with its generative fill) fit into professional design workflows.

An interesting trick: With the Gemini image model (Flash 2.5, nicknamed “Nano Banana”) you can quickly edit photos (backgrounds, outfits, compositions) and then reanimate them in video tools. It's fast and precise for localized changes.

Customer service, sales and marketing: chat, campaigns and data

If you're looking for 24/7 support, Tidio combines live chat and chatbot With robust analytics and security monitoring, Lavender guides you in writing emails that convert, and Shortwave uses AI to organize your inbox for faster results.

For sales, Attio is a modern CRM with rich data and a spreadsheet-like interfaceIn marketing, AdCreative generates multi-platform creatives and AirOps scales content flows with various LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini).

When reputation matters, Brand24 monitors mentions in social networks, press, podcasts or forumsIt classifies feelings and detects anomalies in conversation peaks to react in time.

If you want lifecycle campaigns, ActiveCampaign and GetResponse cover email, automation, landing pages, and segmentation.Optimove takes personalization to the next level with real-time CDP and recommendations.

Meetings, notes, and time management

Meetings don't have to be a pain. MeetGeek, Fireflies, and Otter transcribe, summarize, and extract actionsby sending notes to Slack or the CRM. Capturing who-said-what no longer depends on memory.

To coordinate schedules and protect focus, Reclaim and Clockwise optimize the calendar with focus blocks, meeting-free schedules, and synchronization with tasks (Asana, Todoist, Google Tasks).

If your email is ruining your day, Superhuman speeds up your inbox with shortcuts, sorting, and AI-guided responsesAnd HubSpot's email writer connects messages with CRM for complete follow-up.

For presentations, Gamma generates decks from a single sentence and exports to PowerPoint.Copilot for PowerPoint helps you structure and transform documents into slides without leaving Microsoft 365.

AI-powered search and answers: comparing approaches

Today, the search is no longer just "10 blue links". Google's AI Mode quickly summarizes simplicityalthough it sometimes falls short when it comes to complex or niche questions.

Perplexity It shines when you need to verify every piece of information, displaying clear and navigable sources. The ChatGPT Search It provides a conversational touch with context memory, no ads, and formatable results (tables, CSV, steps).

Practical advice: For strategic research, use two approaches simultaneously (Perplexity + ChatGPT) and contrast them.You save time and minimize errors of blindly trusting a single machine.

If you manage a brand, always complement it with social listening. Brand24 to capture nuances that the open web does not always reflect immediately.

Music, voice and branding

The synthetic voice has taken a leap. ElevenLabs offers voice cloning, emotional control, and multilingual dubbing. with very high quality; Murf makes it easy for those who want solid results without technical complexity.

In music, Suno generates original tracks ready for videos and adsWhile Udio allows for more controlled editing of structure and lyrics. For ethical workflows, Beatoven or Soundraw offer clear libraries and licenses.

If you start a brand from scratch, Looka creates logos and a functional brand kit in minutesAnd Canva Magic Studio adds AI-powered design, writing, and editing for everyday content.

Close the circle with SEOs and copywritingTools like Surfer or SE Ranking's AI Writer help ensure that all that visual material is accompanied by texts that improve search engine ranking.

Security, data, and business decisions

It's not all about content: Darktrace protects email, cloud, and endpoints with self-learning AI, detecting anomalies and responding without human intervention when necessary; for example, OneDrive with artificial intelligence.

In CRM and analytics, Salesforce Einstein adds predictive models, NLP, and dashboards that help close deals and improve support without their own engineering inventions.

For internal information, Guru acts as a business brain in contextAnd Notion Q&A reduces search time by responding with exact quotes to your documents.

If you need structure and control, Zapier automates processes without code Connecting over 7.000 apps with conditional logic and multi-step zaps.

Professional criteria for selecting AI software

Beyond fashion, look for suppliers with traction and cash flow. Stability, active development and a public roadmap They are worth their weight in gold compared to fleeting "glitter".

Audit the security: where the data is stored, encryption, compliance, and whether they use your files to train modelsIn regulated sectors, this is non-negotiable.

Review integrations and scalability: APIs, native connectors, SSO, roles, and usage analyticsThe day your team grows, you'll be grateful.

Value the real experience: Reviews, use cases in your industry, and free trialsAnd negotiate the limits (tokens, video minutes, generation credits) according to your usage pattern.

Training for teams and managers: how to prepare the organization

Adopting AI is both culture and technology. Train managers and teams with leveled learning pathways.: introductory (concepts and uses), applied by area (HR, sales, finance, customer service) and strategic (governance and ethics).

Avoid common mistakes: courses that are too technical for non-technical profiles, lack of objectives, zero follow-up, and absent leadersWithout executive sponsorship, adoption is diluted.

Measures educational impact: time saved, automated processes, output quality, and projects activated post-courseLink those metrics to OKRs and prioritize what gives the best return.

Calendars, emails, and meetings are “low-hanging fruit”. Start with Reclaim/Clockwise, Superhuman/Shortwave and MeetGeek/Otter/FirefliesThe team will notice the change within weeks.

Quick lists by category (to get straight to the point)

General Assistants: ChatGPTClaude, Gemini, GrokAI-powered search engines: Perplexity, ChatGPT Search, Google AI ModeMeetings: MeetGeek, Fireflies, Otter, Fathom, NyotaAutomation: Zapier, n8n, Manus.

Writing and SEO: Jasper, Rytr, Surfer SEO, SE Ranking (Editor/Writer), MarketMuse, FrasePresentations: Gamma, Plus AI, Copilot for PowerPoint. Knowledge: Notion Q&A, Guru. E-mail: Lavender, Shortwave, HubSpot Email Writer, Fyxer.

Videographer: Synthesia, HeyGen, Pictory, FlexClip, OpusClipImage/design: DALL·E 3, GPT‑4o, Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Ideogram, Canva Magic Studio, LookaMusic/Vocals: Suno, Udio, ElevenLabs, Murf.

Sales/Marketing: Attio, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, AdCreative, AirOps, OptimoveSecurity/CRM: Darktrace, Salesforce EinsteinProgramming: GitHub Copilot, Amazon CodeWhisperer, Cursor, Lovable, Builder AI, Jupyter.

With all of the above, the decision ceases to be a lottery and becomes a process. Define the objective, compare a few options, integrate them into your ecosystem, and measure the impactWhether you write, program, study, edit video, or run a company, with the right AI, work progresses faster and with better results.