AI for Business & Productivity · Beginner level

Beginner level · Module 1: AI at Work: Getting Started · Lesson 2 of 3

Choosing AI Tools

Compare AI tools for business use on features, cost, ease of use and how they handle your data.

In this lesson you will

  • Compare AI tools on practical criteria
  • Read a tool's data use policy

Key concepts

general assistants and specialised toolsfree vs paid plansdata use and retentionaccess on phones

The lesson

General AI assistants handle many tasks; specialised tools focus on design, writing, transcription or presentations. Many offer free plans with limits and paid plans billed monthly in US dollars.

Compare tools on your own tasks, not adverts: quality of output, speed on your internet, phone app availability and languages supported.

Read the data policy: does the tool store your conversations, use them to train its models and offer settings to turn that off? This decides what you may safely type in.

Step by step

  1. Pick two AI tools to compare.
  2. Run the same three tasks in both.
  3. Read their data policies.
  4. Record your comparison.

Practice activity

Complete the tool comparison from the practical activity.

Expected result: A comparison sheet with a justified recommendation.

Check your understanding

  1. Why compare tools on your own tasks?

    Show answer

    Adverts and general reviews may not reflect your work, language or internet.

  2. What should you look for in a data policy?

    Show answer

    Whether conversations are stored or used for training, and how to control it.

Taught live by an instructor — online or in person. Free course lessons are for self-study and do not lead to a certificate — see registration options.