Email-management platform Missive just introduced an AI tool that can generate emails.Missive
- Generative AI has taken the world by storm.
- Millions are testing tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT and image generator DALL-E.
The AI revolution is here — and it's taken the world by storm.
From OpenAI's conversational chatbot ChatGPT to image generators like DALL-E, AI tools have attracted millions in recent months.
While there are concerns about whether AI will replace jobs, it's indisputable that AI tools have the potential to make workers more productive if used for specific functions like research and time management. And workers want them, too.
A recent Microsoft study surveyed 2,700 employees and 1,800 business decision makers across the US, UK, and Japan to understand how they feel about digital productivity tools. 85% of respondents said they wanted more AI tools that automate their daily tasks so they can have more time for intellectually demanding work.
Insider conducted research and talked to experts to compile a list of the 7 AI tools anyone can use to eliminate repetitive tasks and be more productive at work.
Brain.fm
Brain.fm is an AI-powered engine that generates music to help users relax and focus. Brain.fm
If a bustling office or loud home is distracting and preventing you from getting your work done, music might be necessary to drown out the noise.
But not all music is optimal for concentration. That is where a tool like Brain.fm can come in handy.
Brain.fm uses AI to generate music designed "to help listeners focus, relax, and sleep," according to the company.
The music — backed by a team of scientists and composers, per the company — contains different variations of ambient noise designed for desired states of mind, whether that's deep work or relaxation.
Mark Ellis, a tech Youtuber, said in a review that Brain.fm "has made me more productive than I have ever been in my entire life." Brain.fm "can save you a massive amount of time," Ellis said.
Users can do a three-day free trial run. After that, it costs $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Grammarly
Grammarly uses AI to help catch mistakes in text copy. Grammarly
Most jobs require some form of writing. And what's more embarrassing than typos in important documents and emails?
Grammarly helps catch mistakes in text copy. Used by more than 30 million people and 50,000 teams globally, the AI tool makes suggestions about word choice and sentence structure, checks for plagiarism, generates citations, and reviews essays, according to the company.
"Grammarly is helpful for anyone who writes," Deb Lee, a consultant who offers entrepreneurs and small business owners guidance on how to increase productivity, told Insider. "It's great at automatically catching errors and typos."
Users can download a basic version of Grammarly for free. Premium plans are available for more advanced features like word choice and tone suggestions.
Missive
Email-management platform Missive just introduced an AI tool that can generate emails. Missive
Francesco D'Alessio, the productivity app reviewer behind the Youtube channel Keep Productive, told Insider.
Missive is an email-management and all-in-one chat platform that recently introduced an AI feature through an integration with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The new feature generates email responses based on what a user asks it to do.
Users can ask Missive to write an email to, say, schedule a meeting on a certain day, and it will spit out a response in a matter of seconds. The email can later be adjusted by prompting it to write in a particular style or tone.
Users can also select from pre-made prompts like "reply positively" and "reply negatively."
D'Alessio said in a 2018 review that he was impressed by the tool. He has been using Missive for over two years and noted in his latest Missive review that the new AI feature is "a really interesting step forward, especially for email."
Missive offers a free version with limited features, and prices increase as users add more of them.
Motion
Motion serves as a personal AI assistant that can build customized work schedules. Motion
If planning your busy work day is stressful and time consuming, Motion may be able to help.
The AI personal assistant tool can automatically build a work schedule by prioritizing daily tasks, meetings, and projects. It can also generate project plans and help run meetings.
Productivity expert Lee told Insider that Motion is "sure to be a time-saver, as one of the main things people struggle with is determining the tasks they should work on first."
D'Alessio also recommended the app to Insider.
Motion offers a free seven-day trial, and then costs $19 per month for individual users and $12 per month for work teams.
Otter.ai
Otter.ai is an AI transcription tool that can generate scripts from audio and video recordings. Otter.ai
Transcribing interviews and writing meeting notes can be tedious and inefficient. So why do it manually when a bot can do it for you?
Otter.ai is an AI-transcription tool that automatically generates a script from an uploaded audio or video recording.
"Otter.ai is great for podcasters and video creators who want to transcribe their content," Lee said.
The tool can also act as a virtual assistant during work meetings on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet by transcribing what is being said in real-time, eliminating the need for a human to take notes.
"That means more time to time work on meeting action items," Lee said. "Big win."
Otter.ai offers a range of plans. There's the free basic version that can transcribe up to 300 minutes of audio per month; the pro version that can transcribe 1,200 minutes for $8.33 per month; and the business version that can transcribe 6,000 monthly minutes and generate analytics for $20 per month.
Qatalog
Qatalog uses AI to create a virtual workplace that can keep businesses organized. Qatalog
Whether you're starting a business from scratch or overseeing multiple teams at a large company, staying organized is key to a functioning workplace.
Qatalog can help organize a user's workplace, D'Alessio, the productivity app reviewer, told Insider.
The tool uses AI to generate an all-in-one virtual workspace based on a company's specific needs. It also automates work processes, like employee onboarding, and generates guides for implementing new processes, such as content creation.
Qatalog takes an "impressive approach" to creating templates for complex documents like project proposals and hiring processes, and is "great for teams" looking to save time "planning their workspaces," D'Alessio said.
Users can get a free 14-day trial. After that, it costs $9 per month. An enterprise version is available for a negotiable price.
RescueTime
Google Play Store
Time management can feel impossible, especially with a demanding job.
RescueTime — an AI time-tracking tool used by more than 2 million people, per the company — could help users stay on-task, Lee told Insider.
RescueTime tracks the time that users spend online and can automatically categorize the websites a user visits based on what the app considers to be productive use of time. It blocks sites that it deems distracting.
The app also provides "smart coaching" by analyzing a user's work behavior and nudging them with a notification if it catches them getting distracted. It can generate a daily productivity score as well.
These features "can be very motivating" in helping users reach productivity goals and encourages daily improvement "which, of course, will make your future self happy," Lee said.
RescueTime offers a free two-week trial. Its plans start at $6.50 per month.