Best AI Tools I Use Weekly (and How)

 Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a concept of the future. It’s now an indispensable part of how many of us work, create, solve problems, and even relax.

 Whether you're a solopreneur, a content creator, a marketer, a coder, or just a tech enthusiast, there’s a growing ecosystem of AI tools that can massively amplify your productivity.

In this blog post, I’m going to take you behind the scenes of my weekly workflow. These are the best AI tools I use every week, how I use them, and why they’ve become integral to how I think and work.

1. ChatGPT (by OpenAI)

Use case: Idea generation, writing, research, coding help, summaries
Plan: ChatGPT Plus with GPT-4

This one is probably no surprise—ChatGPT is my go-to AI assistant. I use it for multiple daily tasks, but here's how it shows up in my week:

How I use it:

• Brainstorming ideas: Whether I’m planning content, business strategies, or marketing campaigns, ChatGPT helps me get past the blank page. A single prompt like “Give me 10 newsletter topics for solopreneurs in the productivity space” gives me immediate clarity.

• Writing assistance: I draft blog posts, emails, video scripts, and social captions using it. Sometimes I just dictate a rough paragraph and ask ChatGPT to rewrite it in a more polished tone.

• Technical help: Need help fixing a bug or understanding a code snippet? I drop it into ChatGPT and get instant explanations or even bug fixes.

• Summarizing content: Got a 20-page report or a 90-minute podcast? I use ChatGPT to summarize the highlights so I can act fast without missing the core ideas.

Why it’s essential:
It’s like having a team of writers, marketers, and engineers in your pocket—ready 24/7. The more you customize prompts and create workflows, the more powerful it becomes.

2. Notion AI

Use case: Writing meeting notes, summarizing docs, auto-tagging content
Plan: Notion Plus with AI add-on

Notion has been my digital brain for years, and its AI features now make it smarter than ever.

How I use it:

• Auto-summarizing meeting notes: After team meetings or client calls, I paste the transcript into a Notion page and ask Notion AI to summarize it into action points.

• Drafting content inside my workspace: If I’m drafting internal documentation, course outlines, or process checklists, I use the built-in AI to speed things up.

• Task refinement: I sometimes paste my rough to-do list and ask it to group similar tasks or recommend a better structure for batching and prioritizing.

Why it’s essential:
Because I already use Notion daily for project and knowledge management, having built-in AI saves time by enhancing the tools I’m already using—without switching apps.

3. Claude (Anthropic)

Use case: Deep reasoning, long document analysis, ethical feedback
Plan: Free + Pro account for heavy tasks

Claude is like the introspective, long-form thinker among AI tools. I use it especially for nuanced or complex writing.

How I use it:

• Analyzing long documents or contracts: Claude handles very long inputs—100K tokens or more. When I need to review detailed PDFs or contracts, I paste the whole thing into Claude and ask it to extract specific insights.

• Refining complex writing: When I need to write an article that balances emotional tone, clarity, and depth, Claude is great at suggesting edits without sounding robotic.

• Getting “ethical check” feedback: Claude is trained with an emphasis on constitutional AI, so it’s particularly good when I want a balanced perspective on sensitive topics.

Why it’s essential:
Claude is the tool I turn to when I need slow, thoughtful AI rather than just fast output. It feels like an editor with a conscience.

4. Perplexity AI

Use case: Real-time research, fact-checking, and citations
Plan: Free + Pro

When I want real, cited information from the current internet—not just knowledge cutoff outputs—Perplexity AI shines.

How I use it:

• Quick research with sources: Writing about trends, recent news, or product comparisons? Perplexity gives concise answers with clickable citations.

• Checking facts from ChatGPT/Claude: Sometimes I cross-reference AI outputs from ChatGPT with Perplexity to ensure they’re up-to-date or accurate.

• Exploring new topics: If I’m diving into a domain I’m unfamiliar with (like synthetic biology or quantum computing), Perplexity helps me get up to speed fast with trusted sources.

Why it’s essential:
It bridges the gap between general-purpose AI and real-time search. You get the best of both worlds: conversational output and credible sourcing.

5. Descript

Use case: Audio and video editing with AI transcripts
Plan: Creator Plan

If you work with video or podcasts, Descript is an incredible AI tool for making editing stupidly easy.

How I use it:

• Editing podcasts by editing text: After recording an audio file, Descript creates a transcript. I just delete sentences from the transcript, and the audio is edited accordingly.

• Removing filler words or stutters: Descript’s AI detects "ums," "ahs," and long pauses—and removes them with a single click.

• Creating audiograms or short clips: I highlight parts of the transcript and Descript automatically makes shareable clips for social.

Why it’s essential:
Because I hate traditional timeline editing. Descript makes audio/video editing feel as simple as editing a Google Doc.

6. Midjourney/DALL·E

Use case: AI-generated graphics, thumbnails, product mockups
Plan: Midjourney Pro / DALL·E via ChatGPT Plus

For anyone who works in content or design, AI image generation is a game changer.

How I use them:

• Creating blog or YouTube thumbnails: I feed it prompts like “futuristic robot working at a laptop in a cozy office, cyberpunk style” and get beautiful thumbnails in seconds.

• Generating background art or story illustrations: If I’m writing fiction or moodboarding ideas, these tools help visualize concepts quickly.

• Mockups for digital products: Midjourney helps me create stylized app interfaces or website wireframes for early-stage product brainstorming.

Why they’re essential:
They help me bypass stock photo websites. Plus, I get original images that match my brand voice and story without hiring a designer for every asset.

7. ElevenLabs

Use case: High-quality AI voice generation
Plan: Starter + Custom Voice

When I need AI-generated voiceovers that sound human—not robotic—ElevenLabs is my tool of choice.

How I use it:

• Creating audio versions of blog posts or newsletters

• Voiceovers for YouTube or explainer videos

• Prototyping character voices for scripts or games

Their voice models are stunningly realistic, and you can clone your voice with just a few samples.

Why it’s essential:
It helps me scale my content to multiple mediums without recording everything manually. One blog post becomes a video, a podcast, and a voice-over ad.

8. Tome AI

Use case: Pitch decks and slide creation
Plan: Free + Pro

Tome uses AI to generate beautiful slide decks from a short brief.

How I use it:

• Creating client-facing proposals or presentations

• Turning blog content into slide summaries

• Making fast visual prototypes for meetings

Just type “Create a 10-slide pitch deck about an app that teaches meditation through AR” and it creates text + visual layout in minutes.

Why it’s essential:
It saves hours of PowerPoint agony and keeps visual storytelling front and center.

9. Magical (AI Text Expander)

Use case: Auto-typing, snippet insertion, email templates
Plan: Free + Pro

This is a small, powerful productivity tool that lets you create AI-powered shortcuts across your browser.

How I use it:

• Expanding common email replies: I type thankyou, and it expands to a personalized thank-you email with dynamic fields.

• AI templates: It suggests full replies based on short prompts using GPT, perfect for support teams or social DMs.

• Auto-form filling: For repetitive admin work, Magical helps fill in forms, spreadsheets, and CRM fields using AI-powered suggestions.

Why it’s essential:
It’s like AI meets keyboard shortcuts—shaving off dozens of micro-tasks from each day.

10. Superhuman (w/ AI)

Use case: Email triage and writing
Plan: Paid subscription

Superhuman has built-in AI features that speed up how I handle emails.

How I use it:

• Summarizing long threads instantly

• Suggesting replies based on email tone

• Scheduling and follow-ups with AI nudges

When email is overwhelming, Superhuman + AI turns it into a 15-minute job.

Why it’s essential:
It helps me hit inbox zero daily—without friction or burnout.

Final Thoughts: AI Is a Force Multiplier, Not a Replacement

I don’t use these AI tools to outsource my thinking—I use them to amplify it.

Each of these tools enhances a specific part of my creative, operational, or strategic work. They don’t eliminate human intuition or creativity—but they clear the fog, speed things up, and help me focus on higher-leverage problems.

In an average week, I’ll switch between brainstorming with ChatGPT, designing with Midjourney, refining pitches with Notion AI, and editing videos with Descript—all in the flow of my work, not as separate tasks.

If you’re overwhelmed by the number of AI tools out there, start by identifying where your biggest time sinks or creative blocks are. Then match them to the right AI assistant.

Quick Summary of Tools:

Tool	Main Use Case
ChatGPT	Writing, ideation, coding, summaries
Notion AI	Note-taking, summarizing, planning
Claude	Deep thinking, long documents, ethics
Perplexity	Research with citations
Description	Audio/video editing by transcript
Midjourney	AI-generated imagery
ElevenLabs	Voiceovers and audio narration
Tome AI	Pitch deck creation
Magical	Text automation and snippets