18 AI Tools Your Team Will Actually Want to Use

Your team likely uses multiple apps every day to get work done. Now imagine if those apps could think, learn, and automatically handle routine tasks. That’s exactly what’s happening with AI tools in 2025 and 2026.

Whether you’re running a startup or managing enterprise operations, the right AI tools will transform how your team collaborates. Individual users rely on AI for quick research and content creation, while enterprises need platforms that easily connect with existing systems and adhere to strict security standards. The best AI tools integrate seamlessly within your current workflow, rather than requiring your team to learn entirely new systems.

What is an AI tool?

An AI tool is software that uses artificial intelligence to automate tasks you would normally do yourself — like writing content, analyzing data, or enhancing collaboration. AI applications understand what you’re asking for in plain language and deliver useful results.

Today’s AI tools can perform a wide range of tasks, from generating basic chat responses to coding, creating images, and analyzing vast amounts of data. They integrate seamlessly into your team’s daily workflow, turning features like AI knowledge bases and intelligent search into natural parts of your work process.

Eighteen top AI tools to know in 2025 and 2026

Modern businesses need AI solutions that address real problems without creating new ones. These tools cover the main types of AI assistance that people seek today. We chose these platforms because they perform well, have the features teams need, and have proven themselves through daily use in businesses of various sizes and industries.

▶︎ Generative AI tools

These AI platforms excel at understanding what you’re asking for in plain language and providing human-like responses for different business scenarios, including content writing, idea generation, and presentation drafts.

1. Chat GPT

Get help brainstorming, writing technical documents, or creating content in various formats. OpenAI’s conversational AI ChatGPT handles it all for teams seeking a reliable AI writing partner.

2. Claude

When you’re working on complex analysis or detailed research projects, Anthropic’s AI assistant provides intelligent reasoning. It breaks down complicated problems and combines information from multiple sources.

3. Gemini

Google’s multimodal AI is built into the productivity tools that millions of teams already use. It processes text, images, and data to support research projects and content creation by drawing from different types of information.

▶︎ Enterprise search and research

Enterprise search tools help teams quickly find information across multiple systems and databases, removing the need to switch between applications. While Slack offers enterprise search as part of its work operating system, the following tools mainly focus on search and knowledge management.

4. Guru

Organizations lose countless hours when team knowledge isn’t documented. Guru captures what your experts know and shares it via docs and conversations in channels, making them instantly searchable so anyone can find verified answers without interrupting colleagues.

5. Coveo

With more than 55 data sources feeding into a single search index, this enterprise platform eliminates the frustration of searching through multiple systems. Teams gain insights based on context, along with analytics that identify content gaps before they become issues.

6. Elastic

Designed for companies overwhelmed by data, this distributed search engine scales horizontally to manage huge volumes while providing real-time results. Technical teams depend on it when traditional search tools cannot keep up with their content repositories.

7. Glean

Machine learning drives this workplace search engine to better understand what you’re looking for, even when you can’t find the right keywords. It respects your existing permissions, so you only see what you’re authorized to view.

▶︎ Image and video creation tools

Visual AI tools make design accessible to everyone, enabling people without extensive creative backgrounds to produce professional content.

8. Midjourney

Transform any text description into high-quality visuals. This tool is ideal for marketing teams developing concept art, designing social media graphics, or brainstorming when something completely original is needed.

9. Canva

Already known for easy-to-use design templates, Canva offers AI text-to-image creation and automatic background removal. Teams can craft professional marketing materials and presentations.

10. RunwayML

Creative professionals turn to this platform when they need to generate video content and visual effects that usually require expensive software. This AI handles everything from video editing to image creation for creative content production.

11. Storylane

Skip the complexity of video production and create interactive product demos and training videos in Storylane with AI assistance. Sales teams and customer success professionals use it for onboarding presentations and internal training materials.

▶︎ Coding and development tools

AI-powered development platforms help both experienced developers and coding newcomers write better software more efficiently.

12. GitHub Copilot

When busy software engineers get tired of writing boilerplate code from scratch, GitHub suggests code completions, handles function creation, and catches bugs in multiple programming languages with impressive accuracy.

13. Replit Ghostwriter

Skip complex development setups and expensive infrastructure. This browser-based AI assistant provides real-time code completion and debugging support, making coding accessible to both seasoned developers and those just starting out.

14. Tabnine

Your existing codebase becomes smarter with this intelligent completion tool that learns your team’s coding patterns and standards. It speeds up development cycles while keeping consistency across different programming languages.

▶︎ Collaboration and productivity tools

The best AI tools are where you and your colleagues already spend your time, making collaboration easier without disrupting your current workflow.

15. Slack AI

Your team already lives in Slack, so why not let AI work there, too? Slack AI summarizes conversations, finds information in channels, and creates workflow automations right within the work operating system where you collaborate.

16. Notion

Think of Notion as a workspace with AI superpowers. Notion’s AI writing assistant handles documentation, meeting notes, and project plans while keeping note-taking, project management, and collaboration all in one place.

17. Grammarly

Nobody wants to send emails with typos or sound unprofessional while collaborating in channels. This AI writing assistant detects grammar mistakes, suggests improved tone, and helps you maintain consistent communication without the awkward “Did I spell that right?” moments.

18. Asana

AI intelligence enhances project management in Asana, using it to assign tasks, predict timelines, and identify potential issues before they impact your deadlines. It provides insights and workflow suggestions that genuinely help keep projects on track.

Whether you’re working on creative projects, coding challenges, or daily collaboration, the key is selecting tools that integrate smoothly with your current process. That’s why tools like AI in Slack are so effective. Slack agents enhance your existing workflow instead of forcing you to learn entirely new systems.

How to choose the right AI tool for your team

Finding the right AI tool means balancing your current needs with what you’ll need later. Begin by identifying what truly slows down your team, rather than simply adopting AI because others are doing it. Consider the following questions:

• Does it work with how we already operate? The best AI tools make your current work better, not harder. Look for solutions that integrate with your existing work operating system, whether that’s Slack’s marketplace of AI apps, project management platforms, or other apps your team uses daily.
• Will it keep our data secure? Enterprise teams need AI tools that adhere to industry security standards and handle data securely. Verify where AI processing occurs, what data is stored, and how vendors meet compliance requirements for your industry.
• Will people use it? The best AI tool is worthless if your team doesn’t use it. Consider how hard it is to master, how it looks and feels, and whether it makes daily tasks easier or more difficult. Tools that work where people already spend their time will get used more often.
• Does the pricing make sense? Think about your current team size and future growth when looking at pricing. Some AI tools charge per user, while others bill based on usage, and many offer tiered pricing to fit your needs.

The future of AI tools

AI is becoming smarter and more autonomous. Soon, AI tools will manage complex, multi-step tasks with minimal human assistance. The next wave is all about agentic AI — where AI acts as a colleague, not just a tool. More upcoming trends include:

AI agents as teammates

Instead of giving suggestions, future AI will actually perform tasks for you, make decisions you’ve approved in advance, and work alongside your team. Agentforce in Slack illustrates this by bringing AI agents that boost employee productivity into your daily work, where they tap into both your team conversations and company systems.

No-code AI for everyone

Tomorrow’s AI tools will let anyone create powerful AI automation tools and custom AI apps without needing to know how to code. These platforms make AI development accessible to people who know what they want but lack the technical skills to build it themselves.

Everything connected

Future AI tools will link up with different platforms and data sources, eliminating the need to switch between apps. Work orchestration platforms already do this by connecting AI features with your CRM data, project management tools, and communication systems.

Better controls and ethics

As AI becomes more powerful, companies want better ways to control it, monitor its actions, and promote responsible use. Future platforms will feature even stronger governance tools, more detailed logs of AI activity, and customizable safety settings that align with your company’s values.

Making AI work for your team

Select AI tools that simplify your work, rather than complicate it. When AI features naturally integrate into your team’s existing routines, the technology becomes part of your workflow rather than just another app to manage.

Pick one or two AI business tools to solve common problems you face. As you and your team become more comfortable and confident with AI, explore more advanced tasks. The best setups combine human strengths with AI capabilities, transforming how teams collaborate and complete tasks.

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