Five AI Tools That Go Beyond Chatbots

When most people hear the term AI, their minds immediately jump to chatbots like ChatGPT. While conversational AI is impressive, the technology offers so much more. Artificial intelligence is powering a new generation of tools designed to make our lives easier, faster, and more efficient. From automatically transcribing meetings to editing videos with simple text commands, these applications are built for action. Here are five of the best AI tools you should be using that aren't just another chatbot.

1. Otter: Your AI Meeting Assistant

For anyone who has struggled to take notes during meetings or lectures, Otter is a game-changer. This tool provides a full, live transcript of any meeting, whether it's online or in person. Simply start recording, and watch the text appear in real-time.

After the meeting, Otter's AI summarizes the key points and even generates a list of action items that were discussed. You can also connect it to your Google Calendar, allowing Otter to automatically join Zoom or Google Meet calls on your behalf and deliver the transcript and summary afterward. If you need to find a specific piece of information, you can use its chat feature to ask questions about the meeting content, saving you from manually scanning the entire text. Otter is perfect for business meetings, college lectures, or even in-person interviews.

It offers a free plan with a cap of 300 transcription minutes per month, with paid plans starting at around $8 per month for more usage.

2. Reclaim: Smart Scheduling to Manage Your Time

Reclaim is an AI tool, owned by Dropbox, dedicated to helping you take back control of your schedule. It connects to your Google or Outlook calendar and intelligently finds the best times for your tasks and habits, so you don't have to manage it all manually.

For instance, if you want to exercise every weekday, you can add it as a habit, specify the duration, and set a time range. Reclaim will then analyze your existing schedule and block out the optimal time. If a conflicting, higher-priority event like a work meeting comes up, Reclaim automatically reschedules your workout to another open slot. It dynamically adjusts your schedule as you go, and you can even generate scheduling links that let others book meetings with you in available slots.

The tool is free to use but has limitations, such as only scheduling one week in advance. Paid plans start at $10 per month for more advanced features.

3. Descript: Edit Video by Editing Text

Video editing can be a complex and time-consuming task, often requiring re-shoots and technical skills. Descript simplifies this entire process by transforming video editing into something as easy as editing a text document.

After you upload a video, Descript generates a complete transcript. To remove a section of the video, you just delete the corresponding sentence or paragraph from the text. The AI can also automatically detect and remove all filler words like "um" and "uh" or cut out long, awkward pauses. One of its most impressive features can correct your eye contact, making it appear as though you're looking directly into the camera even if you were reading a script. You can even type new sentences into the transcript, and the AI will generate the audio in your voice to add it to the video.

Descript has a free plan limited to 60 minutes of video per month. Paid plans with more features start at $16 per month.

4. Readwise Reader: An AI-Powered Reading Hub

Readwise Reader is a powerful app designed to consolidate all your reading materials—web articles, PDFs, ebooks, and newsletters—into one central library. It strips away distracting ads and pop-ups from web pages to provide a clean, focused reading experience.

Where the AI shines is in its ability to enhance your comprehension. You can highlight any sentence or paragraph and ask the AI to explain it in more detail or simplify complex concepts. For long documents, you can ask specific questions and get instant answers without having to read through hundreds of pages. The app also functions as an RSS reader, allowing you to subscribe to your favorite sources and use the AI to get quick summaries of new posts.

The app offers a 30-day free trial, after which it requires a Readwise subscription for $9.99 per month. It is currently in public beta, so minor issues may occur.

5. Cal AI: Calorie Counting Made Simple

Tracking calories is effective for managing fitness goals, but the manual process can be incredibly tedious. Cal AI uses artificial intelligence to eliminate this hassle.

With Cal AI, you simply take a picture of your meal. The app's AI analyzes the photo, identifies the different foods on your plate, estimates the portion sizes, and automatically logs the calorie count for each item. While manual tracking might be slightly more precise, Cal AI is generally accurate and saves a significant amount of time and effort. Beyond calorie counting, the app is a comprehensive fitness tool that helps you set and track goals, whether you're aiming for fat loss or muscle gain.

A free trial is available, and a yearly subscription to the app costs around $30.