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7 NEW AI Tools That You’ll Wish You Found Sooner (use carefully)

Sofia Alvarez
Apps AI

AI is moving fast. Every week there are new tools, new models, and new ways to automate work, create content, or scrape the web. Over the last few months I tested a batch of tools that either sped up my workflow, improved creative output, or unlocked new capabilities I didn’t have before. In this article I walk you through seven AI tools I now use regularly and explain exactly how to use them, when they make sense, and what to watch out for.

Keywords sprinkled throughout this article: AI tools, go viral Instagram, TikTok growth, ChatGPT alternative, AI automation, content scripts, web scraping, custom chatbot, email automation, ChatGPT Atlas, Gemini, Google AI Studio, labs.google.

Table of Contents

Why these seven tools matter right now

Every tool below solves a real, repeatable problem. Some help you go viral on social platforms, others automate repetitive business tasks, some give you low-code ways to build custom chatbots, and others provide browser-level AI that folds into your daily workflow like a personal assistant. In short: if you want to increase productivity and automate work with AI, these are practical tools to try.

How I tested these tools

I tested each product on real projects: creating social scripts and thumbnails, scraping job listings and ads, building a custom chatbot for a niche audience, automating my inbox, and creating a thumbnail generator app. For each tool I noted setup time, learning curve, output quality, privacy/security signals, and cost.

1. ContentBuddy.ai — 10x easier to go viral on Instagram and TikTok

If your content isn’t getting traction it is rarely because the algorithm hates you. It’s usually because the format, hook, or topic isn’t optimized for the platform. ContentBuddy.ai solves both problems by combining daily trend signals with platform-specific script and hook generation.

What it does

How to use ContentBuddy step by step

  1. Create an account at contentbuddy.ai and set your profile: select platforms, niche, and target audience.
  2. Check the daily trends feed (they send it around noon Eastern) and shortlist 2–3 trends you can adapt.
  3. Use the keyword finder to pick 1–2 high-opportunity keywords and get recommended hashtags.
  4. Open the Instagram or TikTok viral script writer. Provide the topic, your desired length, and the content goal—educate, humor, hook, or convert.
  5. Review the generated script line by line. ContentBuddy marks each line with its purpose (hook, spike curiosity, explain, etc.) and gives editing tips.
  6. Upload your draft video to ContentBuddy to get feedback before posting. Make the suggested tweaks to improve retention signals.

Example prompt and script use

Example topic: “chatGPT watermarking and detection” in the AI tools niche. Tell ContentBuddy you want a 30-45 second Instagram Reel to inform and spike curiosity. It will generate a hook that opens with a strong question, a 2-line body with a demo or one big idea, and a one-line call to action. It can also recommend onscreen text and exact edit points to keep attention.

When to use ContentBuddy

Limitations and cautions

Automated scripts are a great starting point but edit to match your voice. Also be mindful of platform policies and copyright when using trend sounds or clips.

2. Apify.com — scrape the web like a pro (without reinventing the wheel)

If you need structured data from websites, Apify is one of the most practical solutions. Think of it as a marketplace of “actors” (prebuilt scrapers) and a platform to run and schedule them. They have thousands of actors covering Zillow, Indeed, Facebook Ads Library, and many other sites.

What Apify gives you

How to run a scraper quickly

  1. Sign up at apify.com and browse the actor store for the target website (for example, “Indeed job search”).
  2. Open the actor, fill in parameters like job title, city, and filters, then click start.
  3. Once completed, download the JSON or CSV. Paste the JSON into ChatGPT or use a script to transform it into a readable table.
  4. Schedule the actor to run daily or weekly if you need updated data.

Use cases

Privacy, ethics, and legal considerations

Respect robots.txt and the target site’s terms. Use scraping responsibly: avoid high-frequency scraping without permission, and do not misuse personal data. Apify gives you tools to throttle requests and stay within polite limits.

3. Pickaxe.co — build, sell, and customize your own AI chatbots

Pickaxe is one of the most underrated platforms for creating custom chatbots. It lets you design a chatbot interface, define system prompts, select the model backend (Claude, Grox, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), attach knowledge bases, and expose actions like web scraping or PDF generation.

Key features

How to build a custom bot

  1. Sign up at pickaxe.co and click “Create Pickaxe”. Choose ‘chat’ for the tool type.
  2. Write a system prompt that defines the bot’s role, tone, and constraints. Use Pickaxe’s helper if you need a template.
  3. Select the model to power your bot based on budget and needs: Claude for accuracy, GPT for compatibility, Gemini for multimodal features.
  4. Attach knowledge sources: upload documents, add a sitemap, or connect a Google Drive folder for private training data.
  5. Enable actions: web scraping, PDF generation, file exports, and image generation if needed.
  6. Test the bot, adjust the system prompt, and publish or monetize as required.

Practical examples

Create a recruiting assistant that ingests a company’s job descriptions and candidate guidelines so it can answer candidate FAQs. Or build a customer support bot that produces templated emails, generates knowledge-base articles, and attaches relevant product screenshots.

Monetization and distribution

Pickaxe allows you to list your bot in their marketplace or embed it on your site. You can gate premium capabilities behind a paywall, making it a new revenue stream for creators and consultants.

Limitations

Quality depends on the system prompt and knowledge you provide. Always test extensively and monitor for hallucinations when the bot is asked out-of-scope questions.

4. Serif.ai — email automation that actually works

Email is one of the most time-consuming parts of work. Serif.ai automates inbox triage, drafts replies, and executes playbooks tailored to specific email types, like sponsorship requests or scheduling.

Core capabilities

Setting up playbooks

  1. Sign up at serif.ai and connect your email with OAuth so you do not share passwords.
  2. Create a playbook for a common email type, for example “Sponsorship enquiries”. Include pricing, typical deliverables, and availability rules.
  3. Define triggers by keywords in subject or body to route those messages into the playbook.
  4. Decide whether Serif should auto-send responses or simply draft them for your approval.

Real-world example

For sponsorship emails I set a playbook that recognizes emails asking about collaboration. It automatically drafts a reply that outlines the $4,000 rate, suggested deliverables, and available months. That draft sits in my inbox as a suggested reply and cuts down negotiation time by 70 percent.

Security and privacy

Serif highlights compliance and security credentials. As with any tool connected to email, use least privilege, review access logs, and rotate permissions regularly. If your emails contain sensitive client data, add rules to exclude those threads from autosuggestions.

5. ChatGPT Atlas — ChatGPT in your browser and across apps

ChatGPT Atlas brings ChatGPT into your browser environment so you can interact with web pages, summarize videos, and edit docs inline. It has memory and context so your history and personal preferences travel with you.

Why this is useful

Practical workflows

  1. Install ChatGPT Atlas at chatgpt.com/atlas or enable the browser integration (follow the provider’s instructions).
  2. Open any web page or embedded video. Use the Ask ChatGPT feature to summarize the content in a few lines, suggest follow-up topics, or list key takeaways.
  3. Open a Google Drive doc and ask ChatGPT to rewrite or create variations. For example, change a personal investment plan to be “more risk heavy” and it will suggest edits inline.

Tips

Limitations

Atlas is powerful but still bounded by the model’s knowledge and potential hallucinations. Always verify facts, especially when summarizing technical or legal content.

6. aistudio.google.com — Gemini 2.5 Pro and free low-code app generation

Google’s AI Studio gives you access to Gemini 2.5 Pro (great for heavy-data scenarios), multimodal models, and a low-code app builder that can spit out complete apps in seconds. If you want to build a thumbnail creator, image analyzer, or custom tool powered by Gemini, this is a fast route.

Why use Gemini 2.5 Pro

Example: create a thumbnail generator app in under two minutes

  1. Go to aistudio.google.com and start a new app using the visual builder.
  2. Describe the app: “You will build a YouTube thumbnail creator. It must analyze images, generate prompts, and output a PNG with optional text overlays.”
  3. Select Nano Banana for fast image generation and the image analysis component for thumbnail optimization.
  4. Click generate and the studio will code a working app you can preview, tweak, and download. Push to GitHub or deploy to your site in minutes.

Use cases beyond thumbnails

Caveats

Free generation is powerful for prototypes. If you plan to scale, monitor cost, latency, and terms of service for commercial deployment.

7. labs.google — a playground of free AI experiments and agents

labs.google is a treasure trove of experimental, free Google AI tools. Think of this as a research-to-production playground where you can test agents, marketing assistants, UI generators, and more.

Notable labs to try

How to explore labs.google

  1. Visit labs.google and browse the available tools. They are often labeled experimental so expect quick iteration.
  2. Pick a tool, provide a simple brief, and let the agent generate outputs you can refine.
  3. Export or copy the generated code, designs, or copy and integrate into your projects.

Why this matters

Labs is an easy way to test new AI capabilities without committing to heavy engineering or licensing. You can experiment with novel agents and quickly iterate ideas before scaling them with a production-grade stack.

How to choose the right tool for your workflow

Not every AI tool is the right answer for every problem. Here are questions to ask before adopting a tool:

Match the tool to the problem. Use ContentBuddy for content optimization, Apify for scraping and data feeds, Pickaxe for custom chatbots, and Serif for email automation. Use ChatGPT Atlas and Google AI Studio for browser-level productivity and rapid app building respectively. Labs.google is perfect for early-stage prototyping.

Automation playbook: a simple workflow example

Here is a repeatable workflow that combines these tools to publish a viral Reel and automate business side tasks.

  1. Use ContentBuddy to identify a trending topic and generate a viral script with recommended hooks and hashtags.
  2. Record and upload a draft video to ContentBuddy to receive edit feedback for retention improvements.
  3. Use aistudio.google to generate a thumbnail and title variations for the long-form version of the content.
  4. Schedule the post and use ChatGPT Atlas to create a short summary for LinkedIn and an email blast draft.
  5. Serif scans incoming inquiries from the post and uses a sponsorship playbook to reply and schedule calls.
  6. If you need to analyze competitor ads or listings, run Apify actors overnight and summarize results with ChatGPT.
  7. Build a custom chatbot on Pickaxe to answer common audience questions post-launch and monetize premium access.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Practical tips and sample prompts

Tool homepages and quick starts

Suggested images and multimedia to include in your article

Use descriptive alt text for images: e.g., “ContentBuddy Instagram script with hook and edit notes” or “Apify JSON output of job listings.”

Meta description and tags

Meta description: Discover 7 AI tools that speed up content creation, automate email and scraping, build custom chatbots, and generate apps. Practical tips and workflows.

Suggested tags: AI tools, ContentBuddy, Apify, Pickaxe, Serif, ChatGPT Atlas, Gemini, Google AI Studio, labs.google, AI automation, viral TikTok, Instagram growth.

Call to action

If you want to test these tools, pick one workflow from the automation playbook and run a single experiment. Document the outputs, measure time saved, and adjust prompts. Share what you discover in the comments or with your team so you can iterate faster.

FAQ

Are these AI tools free to use?

Many of these tools offer free tiers or experimental features. ContentBuddy and Apify have free credits but may require paid plans for heavy usage. Pickaxe and ChatGPT Atlas may have tiered pricing depending on model usage. Google AI Studio and labs.google offer free or experimental access to certain models and app generators, but production deployment often comes with costs. Always review each platform’s pricing page before scaling.

How secure is it to connect my email to Serif.ai?

Serif.ai emphasizes security and provides OAuth-based connections so you do not share passwords directly. They also list compliance stamps and credentials. Nevertheless, treat any third-party connection carefully: grant least-privilege access, monitor logs, and exclude highly sensitive threads if necessary.

Can I use Apify to scrape any website?

Technically Apify can scrape many public websites thanks to its large actor store, but you must respect a website’s terms of service, robots.txt, and applicable laws. Avoid scraping personal data irresponsibly and consider contacting the site owner for permission when in doubt.

What model should I pick on Pickaxe?

Choose the model based on your priorities: Claude and Gemini variants often have stronger factual grounding for longer, complex responses; some Grox models prioritize speed and cost. If you need multimodal outputs (images, audio), select a model with those capabilities. Always test multiple models with real prompts before deciding.

How do I avoid AI hallucinations when using these tools?

Mitigate hallucinations by providing high-quality context, uploading factual documents as knowledge, and using tools that can cite sources. Validate critical outputs against reliable references and create guardrails in playbooks to flag uncertain responses for human review.

Can I monetize a chatbot created on Pickaxe?

Yes. Pickaxe allows you to publish bots in its marketplace or sell access directly. You can gate advanced features behind subscriptions or one-time purchases. Be transparent about the bot’s capabilities and limitations, and consider a free tier for discovery.

Is ChatGPT Atlas better than watching tutorials or reading articles?

ChatGPT Atlas complements those resources by summarizing and tailoring content to your context. It speeds up research by generating action items and personalized summaries, but it should not fully replace authoritative tutorials or deep documentation when you need technical precision.

Final thoughts

These seven AI tools each solve tangible problems and can be combined into workflows that save hours each week. Start small: test one use case, measure the time and quality gains, and then expand. Be mindful of privacy and legal constraints, and always validate important outputs. If you use these tools carefully, they will not just make you faster—they will change what you can build.

Happy experimenting. If you try a workflow from this article, let me know what you discover and what you would change next.

 

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