Tools & Platforms

🤔 Choosing the Right AI Tool

Since the AI landscape evolves quickly, understanding how to evaluate tools is key. Use the following topics to help you  choose the right AI tool for your task:

 

🎯

Task Complexity

Some tools are better for simple tasks like summarizing content, while others are designed for deeper reasoning or multi-step problem solving.

🖼️

Context Sensitivity

Some tools handle long, complex prompts better than others. If your task requires remembering earlier parts of a conversation or document, choose a tool with strong context handling.

📄

Input Type (Modality)

Choose tools based on what you’re working with: text, images, audio, or video. A writing assistant won’t help much with image editing.

🔒

Data Privacy

No tools are fully private. However in the recent years different levels of privacy-focused modes are being developed and offered by tools and their plans.

 
 

What Makes One AI Tool Better Than Another?

Model Architecture

Tools are built on different AI models (like GPT, BERT, or Transformer variants), which affects how they understand and generate content.

Training Data

Tools trained on more diverse, high-quality, and recent data tend to give more accurate and relevant results.

Web Access

Not all tools can access the web and do searches to learn new information past their original training.

Interface and Integration

A clean interface or integration with platforms like Google Docs, Notion, or Microsoft 365 can make a tool easier and more productive to use.

🧑‍🎓 A Note for Students

As a student, you often don’t need the most advanced or expensive tool. You already have access to expert instructors and curated learning materials. In most cases, a simple, up-to-date tool is enough to help you brainstorm, summarize, or organize your studies. Specialized tools are often designed for niche professional contexts and can come with a high cost. While exploring them can be insightful, they may offer more than you actually need for most study associated tasks.

SLC Microsoft Subscription

As an SLC student, you already have access to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, which offers unlimited prompts and access to the internet. It is an excellent starting point for most academic tasks. However, depending on your needs, you might want to explore other tools that specialize in different types of support.

Tools You Can Explore

⚠️ Disclaimer: AI tools tend to change quite frequently in price, capabilities, and limitations. Always check their most current and official platforms before use.

Writing & Communication

  • Grammarly: Helps with grammar, clarity, and tone in essays, emails, and reports.
  • ChatGPT / Copilot / Gemini: Great for brainstorming, clarifying concepts, and planning study sessions.
  • Notion AI: Assists with note-taking, project management, and collaborative study groups.

Studying & Learning

  • Khanmigo: Offers step-by-step help in math, science, and coding.
  • Quizlet AI: Ideal for memorization-heavy subjects like languages, history, and medical terminology.
  • NotebookLM: A Google tool that compiles your uploaded files and can generate mind maps or podcasts.

Research & Analysis

  • Perplexity: Useful for research projects, fact-checking, and exploring current events.
  • Elicit: Designed for graduate students and researchers working on thesis-level projects.
  • Wolfram Alpha: Excellent for solving complex problems in STEM subjects.

Presentations & Collaboration

  • SlidesAI: Helps create class presentations and visual content for academic or professional use.
  • Tactiq: Captures and summarizes virtual meetings, ideal for group projects and office hours.

Updated in June, 2025

 

AI Literacy Pathway

This content is offered as part of My Learning Pathways from My SER. Answer the quiz below to complete this item or access your tracklist here.

 

QUIZ

 
 

📚 References