Who am I?

Hello and welcome to my next article, it’s already five!, in the AI Knowledge Hub! 🙋‍♂️

My name is Jacob Kowalski - a corporate tax consultant from Poland who is really into AI stuff.

I am creating many really cool things with use of AI: chatbots, AI assistants, automations, agents, etc. 🤖

I think we are living in a the biggest revolution of our generation and want to share my thoughts about it. Maybe for some of you they will be interesting or maybe you want to share your take on this too.

If you want to know more about me and what I am doing, check out my page with the button below. 👇

Prepare for the AI revolution… for FREE!

Hello! 👋

Some time ago while developing my next project I have realized one important thing… no matter what I am working on, either it is chatbot, AI agent, automation, anything related to AI - there are some tools I am using EVERYTIME. 🔁

There are some universal tools that I have learnt at the beggining and I am using them in almost everyhing what I am doing.

Many of this tools are available completely for free. 💸

That’s why, in this article I want to share with you a set of universal beginner-friendly tools that you will use in any case, at your job, when learning a new language or developing some personal project. ✅

I think this set once learned, enables you to thrive in becoming AI revolution, and position you as a person (employee, business owner or AI expert) who has mastered anything AI related. ⭐

Introduction

Artificial intelligence doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

While everyone talks about Big Techs and the latest AI breakthroughs, most people still don't know where to start with AI in their daily lives. 🤔

As the most people you're probably already missing out on hours of time savings and better results simply because you haven't learn and tried the right tools yet, if any. 🚫

The thing is, the most powerful AI tools for everyday use are completely free and can be learned in under 30 minutes each. 🆓

At the present students are using AI to research faster, professionals are automating their daily tasks, and even retirees are discovering AI tools that make their lives easier. 📈

The learning curve is gentler than you think.

In this article, I'll walk you through 6 free AI tools that anyone can start using today - no technical background required. Each tool includes step-by-step setup and real-world examples you can copy immediately. 💡

Chat GPT - One for All

ChatGPT is the AI tool that started the revolution and remains the most versatile assistant you'll ever use. 💁

What makes it special it's the incredible flexibility to adapt to literally any task you throw at it. 🗯️

Whether you need help with work, learning, creativity, or daily problems, ChatGPT can switch contexts instantly and provide thoughtful, detailed responses that feel genuinely helpful. ✅

5 Key Use Cases with Prompts

1. Email & Professional Writing 

Prompt: "Write a professional email to reschedule a meeting, keeping a friendly but business tone. (add other relevant information about the dates, e-mail recipient, reason for reschedule etc.)"

2. Learning & Explanations 

Prompt: "Explain quantum physics like I'm 12 years old, using simple analogies. (you can also ask for a graphics as well)"

3. Content Creation & Brainstorming 

Prompt: "Generate 10 social media post ideas for a local bakery's Instagram account. (provide more contect information about a products, tone and how this content should look like, what is it’s goal"

4. Problem Solving & Planning 

Prompt: "I have $500 budget for a weekend trip to Paris. Create a detailed itinerary with costs. (add a places which you have to visit, date for weather information etc.)"

5. Everyday Health & Lifestyle Help 

Prompt: "Create a 7-day meal plan for weight loss with 1,500 calories per day, including grocery list. (add information about certain diet, ask question if the number of calories is correct etc.)"

Pricing & Free Usage

ChatGPT offers a generous free tier using the GPT-4o mini model, which handles most tasks excellently. Free users get unlimited messages with some usage limits during peak times. 🚀

Free users also can generate, upload and analyze images, ask questions about photos, and get visual content explained - a powerful feature that many don't realize is included. 🖼️

The paid ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) provides access to GPT-4, faster responses, and priority access, but the free version covers 90% of what most people need daily. 🆓

Learning ChatGPT

Chat GPT is learning by doing type of tool. ⚒️

There are many tutorials on YouTube: (i.e.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG3O3ePj-b8), watch one of them to get the general ideas, then start learning yourself by testing which style of asking questions (prompting) works the best. 🏆

Start with simple, conversational requests and gradually experiment with more specific prompts. 💬

The key is being clear about what you want and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions - ChatGPT learns from your conversation and gets better at helping you the more you interact with it. 📈

Remember, good prompting is essential for getting the best responses - be specific, provide context, and clearly state your desired output format. ⁉️

Link for Chat GPT: https://chatgpt.com

Claude - Advanced Content & Code Writing Partner

Claude is the next conversational AI assistant but it excels where Chat GPT often struggle - creating high-quality, long-form content and writing clean, functional code. 🧑‍💻

While ChatGPT is very elastic tool for everyday, simple use cases, Claude is your specialized craftsman. 🛠️

It's particularly brilliant at maintaining context across lengthy conversations, understanding nuanced instructions, and producing polished, publication-ready content that feels naturally human. 💬

One of Claude's standout capabilities is creating interactive artifacts - live code, documents, and applications that you can view, edit, and iterate on directly within the interface. ⭐

This makes it exceptional for building functional prototypes, creating polished documents, and developing working code solutions. 📈

5 Key Use Cases with Prompts

1. Long-Form Content Creation 

Prompt: "Write a 1,500-word blog post about sustainable living tips for busy professionals, including actionable steps and statistics."

2. Code Writing & Programming 

Prompt: "Create a complete Python web scraper that extracts product prices from an e-commerce site and saves them to a CSV file."

3. Document Analysis & Summarization 

Prompt: "Analyze this 20-page contract and summarize the key terms, obligations, and potential risks in plain English."

4. Creative Writing & Storytelling 

Prompt: "Write a compelling product description for a handmade leather wallet that tells a story and connects emotionally with customers."

5. Technical Documentation 

Prompt: "Create comprehensive user documentation for a mobile app, including step-by-step guides, troubleshooting, and FAQ sections."

Pricing & Free Usage

Claude offers a generous free tier with Claude 4 Sonnet, providing high-quality responses for most tasks. Free users get substantial daily usage limits that reset every 24 hours. ⏰

The paid Claude Pro ($20/month) offers 5x more usage and priority access during peak times, but the free version is perfect for regular tasks like content creation or coding projects. 🆓

Learning Claude

Claude responds best to detailed, specific prompts that provide context and clear expectations. 📜

Take advantage of its strength in handling complex, multi-step requests and don't be afraid to ask for revisions or refinements. 🔨

The key to mastering Claude is learning to give comprehensive briefs upfront - the more context and specific requirements you provide, the more sophisticated and tailored your results will be. 📊

If you want to start learning Claude here is the simple tutorial video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1eHNDB2LOM

Link for Claude AI: https://claude.ai

Gemini - Chat GPT most dangerous rival

Gemini is an Chat GPT-like tool from Google that brings the entire Google ecosystem to your fingertips. 🖐️

What sets it apart is its direct connection to real-time information and seamless integration with Google services you already use. ⌨️

It's your go-to AI when you need current data, want to work with multiple types of content simultaneously, or need to create stunning visuals with quality compared to professional design tools. 🖼️

5 Key Use Cases with Prompts

1. Real-Time Research & Current Events 

Prompt: "What are the latest developments in electric vehicle sales this month, and how do they compare to last year's numbers?"

2. Google Workspace Integration 

Prompt: "Help me create a presentation outline about climate change, then suggest images and find recent studies I can reference."

3. Advanced Image Generation 

Prompt: "Create a photorealistic image of a modern coffee shop interior with natural lighting, plants, and customers working on laptops."

4. Multi-Format Content Analysis 

Prompt: "Analyze this image of a restaurant menu, extract all items and prices, then create a summary table comparing value for money."

5. Travel & Local Information 

Prompt: "Plan a day trip to Barcelona including current weather, open attractions, restaurant recommendations, and transportation options."

Pricing & Free Usage

Gemini offers an excellent free tier with Gemini 2.5 Flash with limited access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, providing access to most features including real-time web search and multimodal capabilities. Free users get generous daily limits that refresh regularly. 🆓 

It is important to note that in free version you also have the access to image generator which exceeded my expectations - it generates incredibly detailed, photorealistic images that often surpass other AI image generators. 🖼️

Free users can create multiple images daily, making it perfect for content creators, marketers, or anyone who needs high-quality visuals without design skills.

Gemini Advanced ($20/month) unlocks some additional tools like video generators, deep research, more space for data analysis. But for everyday use free version is more than enough.

Learning Gemini

Learning Gemini is the same process as for Chat GPT or Claude. One, quick tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aRJYpExTfs) and it’s time to practice.

Start by asking about current events, recent data, or requesting help with Google Workspace tasks.

I highly recommend using it as an image generator tool (as I am). This way you can learn how to properly ask for your desired visual, as a regular prompting and image prompting are a slightly different skills.

The key is taking advantage of its multimodal strengths - combine text, images, and real-time information in your prompts for the most powerful results.

Link for Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app?hl=en

Perplexity - Your AI Research Assistant with Sources

Perplexity is the AI tool that transforms how you research and fact-check information. ✅

Unlike other AI assistants that generate responses from training data, Perplexity searches the web in real-time and provides accurate, up-to-date answers with proper source citations. 📰

Every answer comes with clickable source links, making it easy to verify information and dive deeper into topics. The platform excels at synthesizing information from multiple sources and presenting it in a clear, organized format. 📜

It's like having a professional researcher who not only finds the information you need but also shows you exactly where it came from, making it invaluable for anyone who needs reliable, verifiable information. ℹ️

5 Key Use Cases with Prompts

1. Academic & Professional Research 

Prompt: "What are the latest studies on remote work productivity, and what specific metrics do they measure?"

2. Market Analysis & Business Intelligence 

Prompt: "Analyze the current trends in the electric vehicle market, including key players, market share, and recent developments."

3. Fact-Checking & Verification 

Prompt: "Is it true that coffee consumption reduces the risk of diabetes? Show me the latest research and statistics."

4. News & Current Events Analysis 

Prompt: "Summarize the key developments in AI regulation across different countries in 2025, with specific policy details."

5. Technical & Scientific Questions 

Prompt: "Explain the latest breakthroughs in quantum computing and which companies are leading the development."

Pricing & Free Usage

Perplexity offers a robust free tier that provides access to its core search and citation features with some daily usage limits. Free users get high-quality research capabilities with proper source attribution. 🆓

Perplexity Pro ($20/month) offers unlimited usage, access to advanced AI models (GPT-4, Claude), and additional features like image generation, but the free version is perfect for most research needs.

Learning Perplexity

Perplexity works best when you ask specific, research-oriented questions rather than general conversations. Frame your prompts like you're asking a librarian or researcher - be clear about what type of information you need and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into sources.

The key is leveraging its strength in finding and citing current, accurate information rather than using it for creative tasks.

Basic Perplexity tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoWdogtZRw8

Link for Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai

Make - Beginner Friendly Automation Builder

Make is the visual automation platform that connects apps and services without requiring any coding skills. ↔️

Think of it as digital plumbing for your workflow - it automatically moves data between different tools, triggers actions based on specific conditions, and handles repetitive tasks while you focus on more important work. ‼️

What makes Make special is its intuitive visual interface that lets you see exactly how your automations work, making complex workflows surprisingly simple to build and understand. 💡

Make's drag-and-drop scenario builder lets you create complex automations by connecting apps visually, making it much easier to understand and modify your workflows compared to code-based solutions. 🔲

5 Key Use Cases with Setup

1. Social Media Cross-Posting 

Setup: "Connect Instagram to automatically post new photos to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn simultaneously."

2. Lead Management Automation 

Setup: "When someone fills out a contact form, automatically add them to your CRM, send a welcome email, and notify your sales team."

3. Content Backup & Organization 

Setup: "Automatically save email attachments to Google Drive, organize them by sender, and create a summary document."

4. E-commerce Order Processing 

Setup: "When a new order comes in, automatically send order details to your fulfillment team, update inventory, and schedule a follow-up email."

5. Data Synchronization 

Setup: "Keep your customer database synchronized between your CRM, email marketing tool, and accounting software automatically."

Pricing & Free Usage

Make offers a free tier with 1,000 operations per month, which is perfect for testing automations and running simple workflows. 🔀

An operation is counted each time data moves between apps - for example, one new email triggering three actions would use three operations. While the free tier has limitations, it's excellent for learning and small-scale automation. 🆓

Paid plans start at very affordable prices of $9/month for 10,000 operations, but most beginners find the free tier sufficient for their initial automation needs.

Learning Make

Make is slightly different tool than the previous ones. It requires a simple understanding what an automation is and how to create it properly.

Forutnately Make has an internal set of courses from no-experience level to professional ones, which enable to learning the platform step-by-step. You can find it here: https://academy.make.com

After the basic course you should start with simple, two-app connections before building complex multi-step automations. ↔️

Make provides excellent templates to get you started quickly. The key is identifying repetitive tasks in your daily workflow and gradually automating them one by one. ✅✅

Focus on understanding how triggers and actions work together, and don't forget to test your scenarios along the way.

Link for make: https://eu2.make.com

Canva AI - Your Professional Design Studio

Canva AI can transform anyone into a professional designer, regardless of skill level or artistic background. 🧑‍🎨

What makes it revolutionary is the vast library of templates and intelligent AI features that understand your needs, suggest design improvements, and can create custom graphics from simple text descriptions. 🖌️

Whether you need social media posts, presentations, logos, or marketing materials, Canva AI handles the complex design work while you focus on your message and content. 📜

5 Key Use Cases with Prompts

1. Social Media Content Creation 

Prompt: "Create an Instagram post for a fitness coach announcing a new workout program, using energetic colors and motivational imagery."

2. Business Presentations & Slides 

Prompt: "Design a professional presentation about quarterly sales results with charts, graphs, and a clean corporate style."

3. Marketing Materials & Flyers 

Prompt: "Create a promotional flyer for a local restaurant's grand opening, including menu highlights and contact information."

4. Logo & Brand Identity 

Prompt: "Design a modern logo for a tech startup focused on sustainable energy solutions, using green and blue colors."

5. Document & Report Design 

Prompt: "Transform this plain text report into a visually appealing document with infographics, charts, and professional formatting."

Pricing & Free Usage

Canva offers an incredibly elastic free tier that includes access to thousands of templates, basic AI features, and the ability to create unlimited designs. 🖼️

Canva Pro ($13/month) unlocks advanced AI features like Magic Eraser, background removal, premium templates, and unlimited cloud storage - in this case when you are serious about graphic design it is worth thinking about upgrade to Pro version.

Learning Canva AI

Canva is the most complex tool in this list, mainly because their many functionalities. You should start with 2 or 3 videos for beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLhoWAALKt0

Then start exploring templates and other resources and experiment with AI features like Magic Write and text-to-image generation.

Canva is a very intuitive and once you’ve learn where are the desired resources and how to use it properly, you will project anything without difficulties. 🎨

You can create a Canva account here: https://www.canva.com

Summary

The gap between AI users and non-users is widening rapidly - those who master even these basic free tools are already years ahead in productivity, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities. 💨

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into every aspect of work and life, the people who embrace these technologies today will have massive advantages over those who continue to ignore AI's potential. 🚀

Don't wait until everyone else catches up - start experimenting with these 6 free tools this week and position yourself at the forefront of the AI revolution that's reshaping our world. 🌐

Sources

The sources I’ve used to create this article are:

• https://chatgpt.com

• https://gemini.google.com/app?hl=pl

• claude.ai

• https://www.canva.com

• https://eu2.make.com

• https://www.perplexity.ai