?? Best Artificial Intelligence Tools 2021

In January 2021, I began a course in Artificial Intelligence for non-technical professionals.? I had very little idea of what Artificial Intelligence was but I had a feeling it was the future. I figured learning about AI couldn’t hurt so when I got the opportunity, I jumped in headfirst.

During these past six months, my studies in artificial intelligence have brought me a lot of knowledge and I have discovered many tools that incorporate AI which make my life easier. This article aims to explain what artificial intelligence is (so anyone can understand) and to share some of the amazing tools that incorporate AI that help better save time and money.

What is Artificial Intelligence and what makes it different from the software we have been using for decades?

We use Artificial Intelligence every day when we pick up our smartphones or use our TVs. Recommendation systems for Netflix and Amazon, facial recognition for online banking, video games, and online ads all use artificial intelligence.? But what makes Artificial Intelligence different from the regular software we have been using for decades??

All you need to know is regular software, a.k.a. software 1.0, has a human behind the scenes with the aim of performing a specific task.? The programmer writes a series of code (mathematical functions which are basic rules. For example, if x happens then do Y) to get to their objective. Essentially, with Software 1.0 a human gives the machine the logic by programming a set of instructions (a.k.a. algorithm)? so that the computer can perform a task.?

Artificial Intelligence is not explicitly programmed to perform a specific task as with Software 1.0.? A true A.I. is coded to learn to perform the task based on large amounts of data, therefore, giving the machine a level of intelligence, allowing it to make decisions. Artificial intelligence, which is also known as Software 2.0, is a broad concept that encompasses the subsets of machine learning and deep learning.? What makes Artificial Intelligence special is that it performs tasks that would normally need human intelligence and cannot be defined by a set of rules.? Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning all have the same objective which is to have the machine mimic human behavior and effectively learn how to automate these human-level tasks with minimal error. Machine learning and deep learning are many times used interchangeably.?

Different from Software 1.0 and Narrow Artificial Intelligence (which is good at performing a single human task such as playing chess or predicting sales or the weather), machine learning and deep learning can perform many tasks and tasks that have many more variables and unknowns like autonomous driving. Machine learning and deep learning do not need human logic (coding or programming) to effectively learn how to simplify human tasks. With enough relevant data, the machine learns on its own by finding patterns within that data.? This data is interpreted and learned so then the machine can make use of the logic implicitly learned to make future decisions.?

Deep learning can be thought of as Machine learning "on steroids", this is why many do not differentiate between the two. Basically, Deep Learning takes on even more complex tasks with even more variables and unknowns and needs even larger datasets for training.? There is more to it than that obviously, but for the purposes of this introductory article, it is all you need to know.

Now that we know a bit about Artificial Intelligence, let’s explore some of the tools that use Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, and Deep Learning. These tools will undoubtedly make our lives easier as professionals. The AI tools I’ll recommend in this blog article are just a drop in the bucket of what’s out there; however, they have all helped me personally and professionally and I hope they help you too. Please comment and let me know!

AI is capable of so much!? Unfortunately, much of it is too expensive to implement into small businesses at the moment. So, let’s go through some of the AI tools we can use today for FREE that will bring A LOT OF VALUE to our small businesses or personal projects.

TOP AI Tools in 2021

Speech recognition - Now no one has to fight over who will take notes at your next meeting! Essentially speech recognition is turning human speech into text.? I have personally used otter.ai which has a free version where you can even record online meetings and it will turn them into speech.??

Speech synthesis - This is translating text to speech. This technology is mostly available in the English language. Try ?Balabolka, which can be downloaded on your PC and it is 100% free.?

Or Natural Reader which is a chrome plugin that is also free. If you need a plugín for Microsoft word, try WordTalk.

Machine Translation - We have been using Google Translate for years but I’d like to recommend a free application: Deepl.? I use this all the time and it rarely has errors, unlike Google.

Grammarly and instatext both use machine learning algorithms to improve your writing. They scan your text, check your spelling and improve it to make it sound better. Both are free and Grammarly has a plug-in so you can use it on every application.?

LinkHelper 2: ? LinkHelper 2 is an AI lead/sales generation assistant. It is an automated tool that works like an auto-mailing system and auto-responder on LinkedIn. If you are looking for leads, this is a tool worth 15€ a month (they offer free trials)! This AI operates 24x7 without interruption or breaks and has no downtime… unlike us mere mortals??!

Text generation: As simple as it sounds, the machine generates text! Copy.ai, CopysmithAI, SnazzyAI are just a few of the tools that will help you create content.? Let’s face it, creating copy can get very repetitive, and sometimes you can get writer's block.? These are just a few of the many AI tools that help stimulate your creative copywriting juices when you are writing copy for ads, blogs, webpages, etc!?

Need help with images and design?

RemoveBG: Remember when you needed a graphic designer to remove the background in your images? Not anymore. And it is free!

Canva is an amazing tool that helps anyone become a designer.? You can design a logo or any content needed without the need for a graphic designer. Canva incorporates machine learning in its tool to recommend elements that are most relevant to the user and also in other functionalities like removing the background of your images.

VanceAI will compress up to 20 images at a time without losing quality or resolution. High-quality images in smaller sizes are favored by Google as well as your audience. There are many ways to make the size and the bytes of an image smaller and, now deep learning can make sure your images are compressed without losing quality.

Sadly, most of the time the images we take are not of great quality.? Powered by Machine Learning, VanceAI image enhancement software also recovers details intelligently to your images, fixes blurry images, removes the background, and eliminates image noise.?

Need help with creating cool videos?

RunwayML helps us edit our videos using Machine learning algorithms. With the help of AI RunwayML helps with automatic element removal, green screen, color correction, generation compositing, and more, all in your browser.

Synthesia and Rephrase.ai create professional videos for us without the need of an actor. ?Just have your script ready and pick one of the avatars they have (or create your own) and voila! You can have a professional video in minutes and you do not have to show your face on camera or hire a professional.

If you are looking for more information on AI or a specific tool, in particular, feel free to send me an email at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow my blog: https://analaborde.wordpress.com/!