AI for productivity - Tool overview

We just concluded an exciting new session of the AI for Productivity course, as part of the IE Business School Impact Skills Accelerator courses program.

In these sessions, we analyze key AI concepts on how AI tools could help us in our day to day jobs. In the last group I lectured, we did a class broad research on key learnings on Gen AI tools. With focus on 微软 Copilot, OpenAI ChatGPT, 谷歌 NotebookLM and Perplexity , students bring key insights on other tools they use.

A very interesting summary of this class research. Opinions aggregated using Copilot.

Question 1: Experience with NotebookLM, Perplexity, and ChatGPT

ChatGPT. The most commonly used AI tool prior to the course. Highly valued for brainstorming, content generation, structuring presentations, and answering questions in an intuitive and conversational manner. While versatile, concerns were raised regarding its lack of real-time data, occasional inaccuracies, and the need for fact-checking academic sources. Several students reported improved results after learning better prompting techniques.

Perplexity. A new discovery for many students, and widely appreciated for research and fact-checking. Its real-time search and citation features were praised, making it a preferred tool for academic research. Some students noted that responses could feel surface-level, requiring additional refinement. Suggestions included improving how sources are highlighted within responses for easier verification.

NotebookLM. Helpful for organizing and summarizing notes, particularly when dealing with uploaded documents. Effective for structuring research but required well-organized input for the best results. Some students found it slightly clunky and limited for open-ended queries. The podcast feature was highlighted as an innovative addition for content creation.

Question 2: Additional GenAI Tools Used for Group Work

While most students primarily relied on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and NotebookLM, some explored additional tools:

• Gamma: Frequently mentioned for AI-generated presentation slides. Students appreciated its efficiency in structuring slides, though some found the designs overcomplicated, requiring manual adjustments.
• Canva AI: Used to refine presentations and enhance visuals, making final outputs more polished.
• InVideo AI: Helped create AI-generated videos, making presentations more dynamic.
• MidJourney & DeepAI: Used for generating project visuals and branding elements.
• Miro: Aided in brainstorming and organizing ideas collaboratively.
• Grammarly: Utilized for proofreading and improving written content.
• GitHub Copilot: Assisted with coding-related tasks, making it useful for programming students.
• Elicit: Helped automate literature reviews and summarize research papers.
• Bing Copilot & Google Gemini: Valued for their search and integration capabilities, making research and productivity tasks more seamless.

Question 3: Other GenAI Tools for Academic and Professional Use

Students explored and suggested several additional GenAI tools:

Writing & Research Assistance

• Claude (Anthropic): Known for safe and reliable AI interactions, particularly useful for summarizing long documents and structuring reports.
• Elicit: A research-oriented tool for finding and summarizing academic papers.
• Zotero & Mendeley: Reference management tools commonly used for organizing research and citations.
• QuillBot: Paraphrasing and summarization tool for refining writing clarity.
• Semantic Scholar: AI-powered academic research tool.
• Consensus & Research Rabbit: Tools that help analyze academic papers and explore connections between studies.

Visual & Presentation Tools

• MidJourney: AI-driven image generation tools useful for visual presentations and creative projects.
• Runway ML: AI-powered video editing for professional presentations.
• Synthesia & Pictory: AI-driven video creation tools for academic and marketing purposes.
• Visme & Beautiful.ai: AI-enhanced platforms for designing presentations and marketing materials.

Productivity & Collaboration

• Bing Copilot & Google Gemini: Integrated AI assistants for research, writing, and content creation.
• Notion AI: Helps with research organization, project management, and document drafting.
• Microsoft CoPilot: Enhances efficiency by integrating AI into Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for writing, data analysis, and presentation tasks.
• GrammarlyGO: Advanced AI-driven writing assistant with grammar and style suggestions.
• Tableau: AI-powered business intelligence tool for data visualization.
• Miro: AI-enhanced collaborative whiteboard tool for brainstorming and workflow mapping.

Final Thoughts

Students expressed appreciation for the exposure to different GenAI tools, particularly Perplexity, which was a new addition for many. The course reinforced the importance of selecting the right AI tool for specific tasks, whether for research, content generation, presentations, or collaboration. Many students highlighted how the combination of multiple tools enhanced their productivity, research quality, and creativity.

The course experience encouraged students to continue exploring AI tools beyond ChatGPT, finding new ways to integrate them into their academic and professional workflows.

Diego Soroa Giada Maria Rapisarda Adrián González Sánchez Elena González-Blanco García