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AI Tools Landscape
A structured view of the AI tool stack by category, with selection criteria and procurement guidance.
Author
Joe Draper
Founder, Arkwright
Navigating the AI tool stack can be overwhelming. This guide maps common tool categories and the questions to ask before procurement, helping your organisation make informed decisions based on capability, cost, and compliance.
1. The Engines (Frontier Models)
These are the raw intelligence layers that power many of the applications below. Specific model names, limits, and rankings change quickly, so check the vendor docs and your plan before making a purchase decision.
| Model family | Best For | Business Case |
|---|---|---|
| Google Gemini family | Multimodal and long-context work | Strong fit when your use case involves large document sets, images, audio, video, or Google Workspace data. Validate current context limits and data controls before rollout. |
| Anthropic Claude family | Reasoning, writing, and code review | Strong fit for nuanced documents, careful writing, and development workflows. Validate the current Sonnet/Opus split and commercial data terms before rollout. |
| OpenAI GPT and Codex family | General assistants and coding agents | Strong fit for ChatGPT-based knowledge work and Codex-style software engineering workflows. Availability varies by ChatGPT tier, Codex surface, and API release. |
2. Research Assistants
Tools that search the web with sources, synthesize data, and help you learn faster.
Perplexity
- ➢ What it is: A search engine replacement that answers questions with cited sources.
- ➢ Best For: Daily knowledge work, market research, and fact-checking.
- ➢ Pricing: Freemium and paid team plans. Check the current plan page for included models and usage limits.
- ➢ Data Policy: Check the current enterprise retention and training terms before using it with confidential research.
- ➢ Integrations: Slack, Discord, and a robust API for internal tools.
NotebookLM (Google)
- ➢ Best For: Legal review, analysing earnings calls, and synthesising internal wikis.
- ➢ Pricing: Personal and workspace plans vary by account type.
- ➢ Data Policy: For business use, validate the Workspace data controls and training terms attached to your tenancy.
- ➢ Integrations: Native integration with Google Drive, Docs, and Slides.
3. Coding Assistants
From "autocomplete on steroids" to fully autonomous software engineers.
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