Thank you for all the questions and feedback from last week’s article! It’s clear there are a lot of thoughts and opinions about AI circulating around town. The number one comment I heard from you was:
“What’s with all these AI apps and what, if any, do I need for a small business here in town?”
To get you started, here’s my handy guide to the major players, as well as top AI apps for creative content, such as design, media and marketing. And remember, each business is slightly different, so the right app for you is case-by-case (and you can always email if you want some bespoke suggestions):
Leading AI Companies and Tools
OpenAI / ChatGPT: OpenAI’s ChatGPT is often credited with sparking the current AI craze. Released in late 2022, this conversational AI tool quickly captured the public’s imagination, pushing companies to accelerate their AI developments. It’s low cost and you can app it right to your phone or desktop. This integrates with Apple and Android.
Microsoft / Copilot: Microsoft is heavily investing in AI by integrating Copilot, its assistant powered by OpenAI’s GPT models, into as many products as possible, including Microsoft 365. Microsoft also holds a significant stake in OpenAI. So, if you’re heavily invested in Microsoft, this is your best bet.
Google / Gemini: Google is racing to integrate AI into its services via its Gemini initiative. This includes its AI assistant and a suite of models designed to enhance products such as Search, Google Cloud and Workspace. For the Google Workspace afficianados out there–Gemini is your go-to.
Meta / Llama: Meta’s AI revolves around its Llama model, an open-source large language model that’s designed to be widely accessible to developers and researchers. And team-Zuckerberg are spending oodles of cash buying up all the Nvidia chips to make sure they corner the market here. Watch out Elon!
Apple / Apple Intelligence: Apple is quietly infusing AI into its ecosystem under the banner of Apple Intelligence. One notable addition is the integration of ChatGPT-like capabilities directly within Siri. Your next iPhone upgrade (coming this month) is going to be running AI.
Anthropic / Claude: Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, develops the Claude AI models. The company has attracted major investments from Amazon and Google and is gaining recognition for its ethical approach to AI development. If you’re in the know … you know Claude is the way to go.
xAI / Grok: Elon Musk’s xAI focuses on Grok, an LLM (large language model) designed to compete with the likes of OpenAI and Google. The company recently secured $6 billion in funding. Musk is also unhinged in the AI world and for those of you who are seeing a dystopic future, this is most likely how it’ll happen.
Perplexity: Known for its AI-powered search engine, Perplexity has faced scrutiny for its data-scraping practices though it remains a notable player in AI research and information retrieval. Did I mention the unethical data scraping? It’s perplexing what they think they can do with other’s people content. Boo.
Hugging Face: Hugging Face has established itself as a hub for open-source AI models and datasets, making AI research and development more accessible to a broader audience. In all honesty, haven’t used this one–and I’ve not met many people who do. Maybe it’s the name?
Top AI Apps for Creative Content
Creating beautiful content that doesn’t cost a fortune is one of the greatest advancements of AI. In the hands of already creatively talented people, AI can be a magnificent tool empowering you with innovative instruments for design, media and marketing. Here are some standout AI apps that make creative work more effective and cost-efficient:
Canva: Canva has revolutionized the world of design by making it accessible to everyone, regardless of their design skills. With its built-in AI tools, Canva allows users to create stunning visuals, logos, social media posts and presentations effortlessly. Its AI features, such as design suggestions and automatic image editing, take creativity to the next level. But, buyer beware–Canva is about to increase its cost 300 percent! So, budget accordingly.
Adobe Firefly: Adobe’s Firefly suite is pushing the boundaries of creative AI. This app enables users to generate professional-grade images, text effects and designs through AI-powered features. Integrated with Photoshop and Illustrator, Firefly leverages the power of generative AI to enhance the creative workflow for both beginners and professionals. It also integrates across your Adobe suite, so if you’re already invested– his is the way to go.
Runway: A powerful AI tool for video creators, Runway offers features like real-time video editing, background removal, and motion tracking, all powered by AI. It’s widely used by filmmakers, content creators and social media influencers to streamline post-production tasks. This is probably a bit more than you need for that next Instagram reel or TikTok video, but it’s cool for your next promo video!
Lumen5: This AI-driven video creation tool helps turn text-based content, such as blogs and articles, into engaging videos. Its AI automates the process by selecting images, videos, and music to match the text, making video production quicker and easier for marketers and content creators. I use Lumen for most of my marketing work and love it.
Jasper: Jasper is an AI content generation tool designed to help marketers, writers and businesses create compelling copy. Whether you need blog posts, ad copy or social media captions, Jasper uses AI to generate high-quality content that saves time and sparks creativity. Jasper allows for an incredible amount of customization and if you use HubSpot at all the two integrate nicely.
Descript: Perfect for podcasters and video creators, Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editor that uses AI to transcribe, edit and improve content. The AI-powered features allow for seamless audio editing, adding effects and even correcting mistakes without the need for complex software. I haven’t used this one yet, but several podcasting friends swear by it as it cut down their editing time significantly.
Deep Dream Generator: For those looking to add an artistic twist to their creations, Deep Dream Generator allows users to transform photos into AI-generated artwork. The app uses neural networks to apply surreal, dream-like effects to images, offering a creative edge to digital artists and photographers. For the photographers out there, be prepared to go down the wormhole of creativity for a few hours–enjoy the trip.
AI is transforming the way we communicate, market and do business in Kent. From a more advanced tech-stack to creative content, our rural community now has greater access to the tools that allow us to work smarter, not harder!
Now … about that rural broadband. I hear there’s a committee for that in Kent looking into this complex issue because, the hard truth about AI is that it’s here to say and it is going to require faster and faster speeds. Kent is going to need to effectively address this critical infrastructure in order to stay competitive and relevant.
With more than 20 years of international experience, Sarah Chase has championed mission-driven initiatives across media, public policy and consumer advocacy. She has held key leadership roles and has successfully worked with start-ups and nonprofits to translate visions into thriving entities across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
In her “Chasing Success” column, she will answer your questions about marketing, management, media and more. Got a question? Need some advice? Contact Sarah: sachaseinc@gmail.com
