AI Tools You Should Actually Be Using (And Which to Skip)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff of science fiction—it’s everywhere, and it’s here to stay. From automating emails to creating marketing content, AI tools have found their way into nearly every corner of modern business. But with new tools popping up every week, how do you know which ones are actually worth your time—and which are just digital noise?
Let’s break it down: here are the AI tools you should actually be using in 2025—and a few you can probably skip.
Worth Using: ChatGPT (and Similar LLMs)
AI writing assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are leading the way in productivity and ideation. Whether you need help writing an email, summarizing a document, or generating blog post ideas (like this one), large language models (LLMs) are powerful co-pilots.
Use them for:
- Drafting and editing content
- Brainstorming product names or taglines
- Creating customer service scripts or FAQs
Just don’t rely on them for final drafts without human editing. They’re great at sounding polished—but not always accurate.
Worth Using: Notion AI
If you already use Notion for team collaboration or project management, Notion AI is a game-changer. It can summarize meeting notes, rewrite messy thoughts, and even help you structure your goals or SOPs.
What makes Notion AI useful is how deeply integrated it is—you’re not switching platforms to get AI help. It saves time where you’re already working.
Worth Using: GrammarlyGO
You might already know Grammarly for grammar checks, but GrammarlyGO adds AI-powered tone rewrites, summarization, and response suggestions. It’s like having a personal editor in your inbox.
Use it when:
- You’re writing important emails and want to sound more professional or friendly
- You need to shorten or expand content quickly
- You’re rephrasing messages to match different audiences
Worth Using: Otter.ai
If you’re in a role that involves meetings, interviews, or research calls, Otter.ai is an underrated gem. It automatically transcribes and summarizes conversations, making it easier to stay present and still have reliable notes to refer back to.
Great for:
- Teams working remotely
- Journalists, marketers, and researchers
- Internal documentation and compliance
Worth Using: Descript
For podcasters, YouTubers, or anyone editing audio/video content, Descript is a brilliant AI-based tool. It turns audio into text, lets you edit your video by editing the transcript, and even removes filler words like “uh” and “um.”
It’s fast, intuitive, and removes a lot of the friction from multimedia production.
Skip (For Now): AI-Powered Logo Generators
While it’s tempting to whip up a logo in five minutes with AI, the reality is these tools usually churn out generic, uninspired designs. If branding matters to your business—and it does—you’re better off investing in a designer or at least using semi-customizable platforms like Canva.
AI can help with mood boards and inspiration, but don’t expect it to deliver your dream logo just yet.
Skip (For Now): AI-Powered Hiring Tools
There’s a growing number of platforms offering AI-generated interview questions, resume scans, or even automatic candidate scoring. While useful in theory, these tools often lack nuance and may reinforce biases rather than eliminate them.
Until more transparency and fairness audits are built into these systems, proceed with caution.
Skip (For Now): Overhyped “All-in-One” AI Tools
Any tool that claims to “do everything for you” probably does none of it well. Be wary of all-in-one platforms promising to manage your marketing, write your blogs, edit your videos, and run your ads. AI works best in focused, task-specific tools that are well-integrated into your workflow.
AI is here to stay—but not every tool deserves your time. Focus on the ones that truly improve your workflow, like ChatGPT, Notion AI, GrammarlyGO, Otter.ai, and Descript. Skip the gimmicks that overpromise and underdeliver.
Remember, AI is a tool—not a replacement for strategy, creativity, or human connection. Use it wisely, and it’ll supercharge what you’re already good at.
