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What are generative AI tools?
The term "generative AI" can be a little vague in that it covers a wide range of tools and technologies. Here, I'm focusing on generative AI tools specifically designed to create entirely new assets or significantly enhance existing ones. The tools we'll explore below all excel at generating original content, such as text, images, audio, or a combination of all of those things.
Here's a breakdown of the key categories I'll be covering.
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AI writing and editing tools: These tools allow you to generate original written content, like blog posts, marketing copy, or even creative fiction. They can also assist with editing existing text, suggesting improvements for grammar, clarity, and overall flow. I've included AI email assistants in this category since they include a lot of generative AI.
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AI video generation tools: These tools create video content from scratch based on textual descriptions or prompts. Some tools specialize in generating photorealistic visuals, while others focus on creating more stylized or animated videos. Many of them can also be used to edit videos.
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AI image generation and editing tools: These tools help you generate entirely new images or manipulate existing ones. Some specialize in photorealistic creations, while others excel at creating artistic imagery. AI image editing tools offer functionalities like removing unwanted objects, enhancing resolution, or even generating entirely new image elements.
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AI voice and music generation tools: Some of these tools enable users to generate realistic-sounding human voices from text, offering a variety of voices with different accents and tones. Others let you generate music using natural language prompts.
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AI presentation apps: These tools leverage AI to streamline the presentation creation process. They can generate visually compelling slides based on your content, suggest improvements to structure and flow, and even provide data-driven insights to enhance audience engagement.
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AI website builders: These website creation platforms utilize AI to simplify the website-building process. They offer functionalities like automatic design generation, image resizing, and content suggestions, allowing users with no coding experience to build professional-looking websites.
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AI app builders: These tools create mobile or web applications without extensive (or, in some cases, any) coding knowledge. They leverage AI to automate various aspects of the development process, such as generating basic app layouts or implementing functionalities based on natural language instructions.
Given the ridiculous volume of generative AI apps available, there's no way my list of the top 20 is going to be the same as your list of the top 20. The goal here is to introduce you to some excellent apps—all of which have been put through the wringer by the Zapier team—and inspire you to explore the category even more.
What makes the best generative AI tool?
Not all generative AI tools are equally as powerful—the "Terminator" plots progressively reinforce that fact. Some generative AIs excel at specific tasks, while others offer a broader range of capabilities. I've leveraged insights from Zapier's team of app testers to bring you this analysis and explore the key features that define a truly great generative AI tool:
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Versatility: The most valuable tools offer a wide range of functionalities, allowing you to tackle diverse creative challenges, from crafting marketing copy to generating innovative product concepts.
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Output quality: Ultimately, the success of a generative AI tool hinges on the quality of its results. Look for tools that produce highly realistic images, informative text formats, or creative content that aligns with your specific needs.
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User-friendliness: A great generative AI tool should be intuitive and easy to use, even for those without extensive technical expertise.
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Control and customization: While AI automates tasks, you still need control. The best tools empower you to refine prompts, tailor outputs, and guide the creative process effectively.
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Underlying technology: Many generative AI tools are powered by large language models (LLMs) and large multimodal models (LMMs)—complex algorithms trained on massive datasets. Understanding the models behind a tool can provide insights into its capabilities and potential limitations.
The best generative AI tools at a glance
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Category |
Best for |
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AI writing generators |
Maintaining brand voice |
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AI writing generators |
Marketing efforts |
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AI writing generators |
Email assistance |
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AI notes |
Second brain |
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AI notes |
Organized notes |
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AI video tools |
Freeform and creative videos |
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AI video tools |
AI video editing |
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AI image tools |
High-quality images |
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AI image tools |
AI-powered photo editing |
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AI voice and audio |
Versatile assets |
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AI voice and audio |
Creative text-to-audio results |
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AI presentation apps |
Design automation |
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AI presentation apps |
Sales decks |
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AI website builders |
Automated website creation |
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AI website builders |
AI-powered website design |
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AI app builders |
Creating foundations |
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AI app builders |
Automated app building |
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AI chatbots |
Versatility |
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AI chatbots |
Great writing quality |
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AI chatbots |
Custom-made chatbots
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