2024 was the yr of AI instruments. Hundreds of latest apps launched — some simply photograph mills and gimmicks, others far more helpful. What stood out to me had been the instruments that really helped you get issues carried out.
This listing comes from a16z’s AI Unwrapped, which largely options shopper apps for private use. I’m calling out a couple of favorites from classes like productiveness, viewers progress, studying, and even constructing your personal instruments. You possibly can strive these instruments tomorrow to start out being extra productive.
Whether or not you want a analysis dump on house agriculture, wish to clone your self right into a short-form video creator, or simply cease typing every part out by hand, there’s one thing right here price making an attempt. Let’s get into it.
AI Instruments for Productiveness and Viewers Progress — My High Picks
1. Movement Voice: Fingers-Free Productiveness with AI
Should you’ve ever wished you possibly can speak to your laptop computer as a substitute of typing, Movement may be the AI device you’ve been ready for.
Much like Grammarly, Movement embeds itself into each software that you simply use. However as a substitute of fixing your grammar, Movement enables you to management all of your apps by talking out loud. You possibly can write emails, reply to Slack messages, edit Google Docs, and extra — all with out touching a keyboard.
Why Movement Is Attention-grabbing
All of us kind manner an excessive amount of. Between emails, Slack, docs, and textual content messages, it provides up. Movement is making an attempt to chop out the additional effort by making it potential to speak to your laptop the best way you’d speak to an assistant.
Movement is constructed to be built-in into your workflow, that means you may:
- Communicate out a full Slack response as a substitute of typing.
- Edit a doc simply by saying what adjustments you need.
- Translate textual content on the fly.
- Management your complete workflow with voice instructions.
How Movement Works
I examined Movement, and right here’s the way it works:
- Maintain down the house bar, communicate your command, and Movement transcribes it in actual time.
- Reside modifying is feasible — simply inform it to delete, rewrite, or change wording.
- You possibly can even reply to Slack and e-mail hands-free. AI makes certain your messages don’t sound like a robotic mess.
Right here’s a screenshot of Movement in motion:
My take: Modifying by voice is bizarre at first however sort of wonderful when you get used to it. Should you’re somebody who lives in Slack and e-mail, Movement is price making an attempt
2. Cubby: AI That Organizes Your Analysis for You
Cubby is a analysis assistant for individuals who hoard data. Should you’re the sort of one that has 50 tabs open always, it is best to strive Cubby. This device makes remembering the place you noticed that one quote, article, or podcast clip easy.
As a substitute of dumping hyperlinks right into a Notion doc or bookmarking belongings you’ll by no means revisit, you may simply drop every part into Cubby. That features PDFs, podcasts, MP3s, MP4s, YouTube movies, social media threads, articles, and recordsdata out of your laptop. Then, Cubby can transcribe and arrange the data into one thing helpful.
Why Cubby Is Helpful
AI instruments promise to make life simpler, however Cubby solves an actual downside: Analysis is a large number.
Should you’ve ever tried to do a deep dive on a subject, you understand how it goes. You begin by studying one article, which hyperlinks to a whitepaper, which references a podcast, which makes you consider a YouTube video somebody really useful, which results in one other article. Now, you may have a dozen sources however no construction.
Cubby acts as a central mind for all of your analysis, pulling every part collectively and making it searchable and usable. As a substitute of retaining monitor of tabs and notes, you simply dump every part in and let AI deal with the remainder.
How Cubby Works
- Drag and drop something you’re researching into Cubby.
- Cubby transcribes every part and pulls out the important thing factors.
- You possibly can ask it questions concerning the content material as a substitute of manually digging by means of hours of fabric.
My take: Cubby acts as a private analysis assistant, serving to you discover connections between completely different sources with out guide effort.
3. Delphi: AI Clones for Content material Creation
Delphi enables you to create an AI clone of your self that individuals can work together with. As a substitute of continually answering the identical questions or making an attempt to be in 100 locations without delay, you may practice an AI mannequin in your data. Your viewers can then “speak” to you even if you’re not there.
Why Delphi Is Helpful
Let’s say you’re a content material creator, guide, or educator. You most likely get a whole lot of the identical questions time and again — tips on how to begin a e-newsletter, tips on how to develop an viewers, tips on how to worth companies.
Usually, you’d need to both:
- Reply each query manually (exhausting).
- Create FAQ pages or pre-recorded movies (useful however static).
With Delphi, your AI clone can reply these questions for you in a manner that feels interactive and private. AI pulls from every part you’ve ever stated, written, or recorded and responds in a manner that sounds such as you.
Should you’ve constructed an viewers and folks worth your experience, Delphi enables you to scale that engagement with out being on name 24/7.
How Delphi Works
You practice Delphi in your current content material — articles you’ve written, your podcasts, your movies, and any related recordings. As soon as your AI clone is up and working, folks can go to your web page and have a dialog with it.
Delphi’s chatbot is constructed to sound such as you and to present solutions based mostly in your perspective — not simply generic, AI-generated recommendation.
I examined this out with the AI clone of Brian Halligan, co-founder and govt chairperson at HubSpot. I needed to ask questions on rising to $30M ARR and obtained some fairly useful responses, together with referral hyperlinks the place I might study extra from Brian.
Delphi is a good concept for somebody who has a wealth of experience and with little time for one-on-one convos.
That stated, this device does elevate a much bigger query: Do folks truly need to speak to an AI model of you? If somebody is in search of a step-by-step course of, they may be nice speaking to AI. But when they need actual suggestions, concepts, or emotional connection, they’re most likely nonetheless going to need you, not your clone.
My take: Proper now, Delphi is finest for creators who have already got deep data in a selected house and a neighborhood of people who find themselves wanting to entry it.
4. HeyGen: AI-Powered Video Avatars
AI-generated video content material has come a good distance.
A couple of years in the past, most AI avatars seemed stiff and robotic, the sort of factor you’d see in a foul deepfake. However, HeyGen is pushing the boundaries. Individuals would possibly truly mistake an AI-generated model of you for the true factor.
HeyGen enables you to clone your self right into a high-quality AI avatar. Your digital self can then give shows and even simply speak to your viewers, with out you stepping in entrance of the digital camera.
To experiment with the device, I cloned myself and delivered a whole course by means of my AI clone.
Why HeyGen Is Attention-grabbing
HeyGen isn’t like these bizarre robotic avatars from a couple of years in the past. The device now has smoother facial actions and higher hand gestures, which implies the uncanny valley impact is shrinking.
In truth, some folks didn’t notice AI was presenting my course. They emailed me afterward, saying I appeared “a bit off” as a result of I used to be retaining my arms nonetheless — one thing the early HeyGen mannequin required. Nonetheless, even that stage of confusion exhibits how far the tech has come.
In case your content material is only instructional or educational, HeyGen is a good way to create at scale with out having to look on digital camera each time.
The place HeyGen May Be Useful
For individuals who have to create video content material at scale, HeyGen is definitely a very useful gizmo.
- Should you run a web-based course, you possibly can use HeyGen to create classes with out filming each single one.
- Should you report a whole lot of social media content material, HeyGen might enable you create short-form movies sooner.
- If it’s essential to translate movies into completely different languages, HeyGen can dub your avatar’s voice whereas retaining a pure lip sync.
My take: Identical to with Delphi, there’s one large query in my thoughts. How a lot do folks truly wish to interact with an AI model of you rather than the true factor?
In case your content material is only informational, this might be a good way to scale video creation. But when your viewers is invested in YOU — your distinctive expressions, humor, and vitality — an AI clone isn’t an actual substitute.
5. Argil: AI Cloning for Quick-Kind Video Content material
This one is particularly constructed for short-form video. Argil is a startup that permits you to clone your self with only a couple minutes of video. You possibly can then begin producing AI-powered movies by typing out a script.
When looking examples from their web site, I seen Argil centered on fast, punchy, creator-style content material. It’s not making an attempt to exchange HeyGen or different full-scale avatar instruments. Argil is constructed for pace and ease.
Why Argil Is Helpful
You add a brief coaching video after which use your AI clone to generate clips that train, promote, or entertain. Argil’s high quality isn’t good — particularly within the voice and visible realism — but it surely’s quick and light-weight.
The place Argil May Be Useful
Argil is finest fitted to:
- Creators making short-form content material on platforms like TikTok or Instagram.
- Individuals who have already got an viewers and wish to repurpose or batch video manufacturing.
- Anybody experimenting with AI avatars who doesn’t want a full manufacturing studio.
Identical to HeyGen and Delphi, the true worth right here comes after you’ve constructed an viewers and found out what sort of content material resonates.
How Argil Works
Report a two-minute video of your self, and Argil generates an AI clone. From there, you may script movies by simply typing textual content. The clone will learn it again, totally animated. The interface is easy and feels extra like a Notion doc than a video editor, which makes it fairly approachable.
My take: Argil is a cool idea for short-form creators, however you’ll get probably the most out of the device when you already know what viewers you’re chatting with.
6. Opus: AI-Powered Video Modifying
Opus is a device most individuals already know. It takes long-form video — podcasts, interviews, keynotes — and mechanically cuts it into brief, shareable clips.
On condition that modifying video is likely one of the greatest time sucks in content material creation, instruments like Opus could be particularly beneficial. I examined it utilizing an episode from Lex Fridman’s podcast. Opus grabbed highlights from the dialog and turned them into clips for TikTok, Shorts, Reels, and past.
Why Opus Is Helpful
Individuals eat short-form movies at scale, however creating partaking clips from lengthy content material is tedious. Opus helps by:
- Figuring out key moments in your video (so that you don’t have to clean by means of hours of footage).
- Auto-generating captions and subtitles for social media.
- Chopping a number of clips without delay to batch-create content material.
The place Opus May Be Useful
Should you’re producing long-form video content material, this can be a must-try — even when it’s a must to tweak the AI-generated clips.
Nonetheless, right here’s the truth: These instruments create the common model of short-form content material. They’ll get you one thing practical, however if you need one thing that actually stands out, you continue to have to put within the work.
How Opus Works
You add your long-form video to Opus. The AI scans it, detects key moments, and cuts them into brief clips which might be prepared for social media. Opus then mechanically provides captions, trims the fluff, and offers you a number of clips to work with — all in a couple of minutes.
My take: Instruments like Opus are nice for saving time, however they received’t make you an incredible content material creator. Use them to hurry up the fundamentals, however nonetheless put within the work if you need content material that hits.
7. Replit AI: Customized Coding and Automation
Replit is sort of mind-blowing. Their AI agent is unbelievable, and the product as an entire is simply tremendous enjoyable to make use of. This is likely one of the finest examples of why we’re all going to have customized software program — instruments which might be constructed by and for us, as a substitute of making an attempt to suit into one-size-fits-all platforms.
Replit AI acts like a co-pilot for coding, serving to you generate and refine code based mostly on what you want. That might be a easy scheduling app or a extra advanced automation.
The outcomes are mind-blowing. You possibly can truly construct actual merchandise for your self in a matter of minutes.
Why Replit Is Helpful
Let me offer you an actual instance. I used to be watching TV and speaking to my companion. We talked about getting higher at scheduling. We have now a 10-month-old, and each hour of the day counts.
We had been utilizing Google Calendar, but it surely wasn’t precisely what we wanted. So, I constructed one thing for us. It’s a primary scheduler that exhibits each of our days side-by-side from 6 a.m. to eight p.m. We will add duties, mark them as accomplished, and see the place we overlap, particularly after we wish to play with our daughter or give one another a break.
It’s not a sophisticated app, but it surely works. And that’s the purpose: I didn’t want each characteristic beneath the solar — I simply wanted one thing that labored precisely the best way I needed.
The place Replit May Be Useful
Replit is a game-changer for entrepreneurs and enterprise house owners who want customized software program however don’t wish to rent builders for each little factor.
Replit is nice for:
- Individuals who wish to construct private instruments that don’t exist but.
- Groups seeking to spin up light-weight inner instruments quick.
- Entrepreneurs or operators experimenting with productized utilities or free instruments as a part of their advertising technique.
How Replit Works
Replit makes use of an AI agent that helps you thru your entire coding course of. You describe what you wish to construct, like a scheduling device or a customized dashboard, and it generates the underlying code.
You can also make adjustments in actual time, and the AI continues to regulate, refine, and debug as you go. You don’t have to know what you’re doing to get began, and that’s sort of the purpose.
My take: The massive unlock right here is customized software program. As a substitute of shopping for generic instruments or making an attempt to power your workflow right into a template, Replit enables you to construct precisely what you want within the actual manner you want it.
8. Pocket book LM: AI for Smarter Observe-Taking
Pocket book LM was among the finest AI merchandise launched final yr, and never practically sufficient persons are utilizing it. Should you take care of a whole lot of data — docs, concepts, assembly notes, analysis — it’s straightforward for issues to get scattered. Pocket book LM turns all of that right into a structured, searchable, and really usable data base.
It’s like your second mind however higher organized.
Should you’ve ever wished your notes might truly give you the results you want, that is the sort of device that might change the way you course of data.
Why Pocket book LM Is Helpful
I exploit Pocket book LM on a regular basis. I’ve obtained it hooked as much as all of the completely different folders I exploit for work. It lets me:
- Create briefing docs based mostly on every part in a folder.
- Generate audio critiques of content material.
- Flip uncooked content material into research guides or structured summaries.
Mainly, it’s like having an AI-powered assistant who helps you flip scattered materials into usable output with out having to manually type by means of every part.
The place Pocket book LM May Be Useful
Pocket book LM is very helpful for individuals who take care of a whole lot of data however don’t have the time to manually type by means of every part.
It’s an enormous win for:
- Writers and researchers who have to shortly summarize massive quantities of textual content.
- College students and professionals who need AI to drag out key insights from notes.
- Content material creators who juggle a number of tasks and want to remain organized.
How Pocket book LM Works
You join Pocket book LM to the folders or recordsdata you’re working with. AI analyzes the content material after which generates summaries, notes, and guides.
You possibly can question it like a analysis assistant. Ask it to floor themes, clarify advanced ideas, or spotlight key concepts throughout paperwork. Certainly one of my favourite options is the research information device — you drop in content material, and it builds out a full studying information based mostly on what’s within the folder.
My take: Pocket book LM is likely one of the finest AI instruments I’ve used up to now yr. Should you haven’t tried it but, begin now. It’s the sort of product that feels extra beneficial the extra you feed into it.
9. Serviette AI: AI-Generated Enterprise Visuals
Most AI picture mills are constructed for leisure or aesthetics. They’re enjoyable to play with however not likely designed for enterprise use. Serviette AI flips that. It’s centered on serving to you create polished, skilled visuals particularly for enterprise content material.
My take: Should you’re creating shows, writing LinkedIn posts, or constructing gross sales decks, this device offers you quick, clear photos that appear to be they belong in an actual enterprise context.
Why Serviette AI Is Helpful
I used Serviette AI on certainly one of my LinkedIn posts about AI-driven procurement, and it immediately generated a spread {of professional}, business-friendly graphics. These weren’t surreal or off-brand. They really seemed like they belonged in a deck or B2B put up.
That is the place Serviette stands out. It helps you:
- Create clear, related photos tailor-made to your enterprise content material.
- Skip the infinite hunt by means of inventory pictures.
- Make posts, shows, and studies extra visually partaking while not having a designer.
The place Serviette AI May Be Useful
For professionals who create a whole lot of business-focused content material, Serviette AI helps make posts and shows extra visually partaking. Listed here are some B2B supplies I feel Serviette AI might spruce up:
- LinkedIn posts. As a substitute of utilizing overused inventory photos, I can generate customized graphics.
- Gross sales decks and shows. I can shortly create enterprise visuals with out hiring a designer.
- Advertising and marketing and branding supplies. I can generate on-brand photos that match your messaging.
How Serviette AI Works
Serviette AI can take one thing like your newest LinkedIn put up and mechanically generate picture choices to go together with it. You don’t need to immediate it from scratch or tweak sophisticated settings.
This device is designed to generate visuals that really feel like they belong in an expert setting — clear, minimal, and topic-specific — quite than the surreal or cartoonish output most picture instruments default to.
Serviette AI isn’t making an attempt to exchange a designer, but it surely offers you a place to begin that feels about 80% of the best way there. Generally, that’s greater than sufficient.
My take: Should you put up a whole lot of business-related content material, Serviette AI is price making an attempt. AI-generated visuals nonetheless aren’t good, however Serviette AI’s give attention to professional-looking graphics makes it stand out from different picture instruments.
Work Smarter, Not More durable With These AI Instruments
Previously yr, hundreds of latest AI apps have launched. I’ve personally examined dozens if not a whole lot. Whereas some had been gimmicks and extra AI fluff, a few of these instruments made an enormous distinction in my productiveness.
Should you’re in search of some AI instruments to experiment with, give these choices a shot first. Movement and Cubby make it simpler to course of data and minimize down on guide work. Delphi and HeyGen allow you to scale your self in ways in which weren’t potential earlier than. Replit and Opus are making it simpler for anybody to construct and repurpose content material sooner than ever.
So experiment. Construct. Use what works. Simply don’t neglect to place your personal edge into it.
To study extra about lead-scoring techniques and advertising progress methods, take a look at the full episode of Advertising and marketing In opposition to the Grain beneath:
This weblog sequence is in partnership with Advertising and marketing In opposition to the Grain, the video podcast. It digs deeper into concepts shared by advertising leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Advertising and marketing at HubSpot) as they unpack progress methods and study from standout founders and friends.
