Your AI toolbox — Foundations
Four kinds of AI tools
Chat assistants — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok. Your everyday thinking partner: writing, questions, analysis, files.
Research modes — Deep Research-style features that browse dozens of sources and return a cited report.
Coding agents — Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI. They read and edit real projects and run commands.
Creative generators — image, video and voice tools, many now built right into the assistants.
📝 Read the full lesson notes
Four kinds of AI tools
Chat assistants — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok. Your everyday thinking partner: writing, questions, analysis, files.
Research modes — Deep Research-style features that browse dozens of sources and return a cited report.
Coding agents — Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI. They read and edit real projects and run commands.
Creative generators — image, video and voice tools, many now built right into the assistants.
Free vs. paid, honestly
Every major assistant has a free tier that's genuinely useful. Paid plans (typically around $20/month for individuals) mostly buy you higher limits, the smartest models, longer thinking, and agent features.
Start free. Upgrade the one you reach for most once you keep hitting limits.
Part of 🧠 Foundations in the free AI Bootcamp.