AI Tools Training Guide

Which AI Tool for Which Task

A practical guide to Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and the rest—so you know exactly what to use and when.

In This Guide

AI Assistants Compared (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok)Enterprise Tools (Copilot, Perplexity, GitHub Copilot)AI-Powered IDEs & Agents (Claude Code, Cowork, Cursor, Windsurf)Task → Tool Decision MatrixPrompt Templates That WorkEnterprise Setup ChecklistCustom Programs & AI Academy

AI Assistants Compared

The big four—and when to use each one.

Claude

by Anthropic

Best for:

Long-form writingCode analysisComplex reasoningDocument review

Models:

Claude Opus 4.5 (flagship) • Claude Sonnet 4.5 (fast + capable) • Claude Haiku (speed)

Free tier available, Pro $20/mo

ChatGPT

by OpenAI

Best for:

General tasksCreative writingImage generationVoice conversations

Models:

GPT-5.2 (latest) • GPT-4o (multimodal) • GPT-4o mini (fast)

Free tier available, Plus $20/mo

Gemini

by Google

Best for:

Google Workspace integrationResearchMultimodal tasksLong context (1M tokens)

Models:

Gemini 3 Pro (flagship) • Gemini 2.5 Flash (fast) • Gemini in Workspace

Free tier available, Advanced $20/mo

Grok

by xAI

Best for:

Real-time informationX/Twitter integrationUnfiltered responsesCurrent events

Models:

Grok 4.1 (latest) • Grok Vision

X Premium+ required ($16/mo)

Enterprise & Productivity Tools

AI that integrates with your existing workflow.

Microsoft Copilot

AI integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams

Use cases:

Summarize meetingsDraft emailsAnalyze spreadsheetsCreate presentations
$30/user/month (on top of M365)💡 Best ROI for teams already using Microsoft 365 heavily

Perplexity

AI-powered research engine with citations

Use cases:

Research with sourcesFact-checkingCompetitive analysisMarket research
Free tier, Pro $20/mo💡 Replaced Google for many knowledge workers—answers come with citations

GitHub Copilot

AI pair programmer in your IDE

Use cases:

Code completionGenerate functionsWrite testsExplain code
$10/mo individual, $19/mo business💡 Works with VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim—uses Claude Sonnet 4.5 or GPT under the hood

AI-Powered IDEs & Agents

The next generation of work environments—AI agents that understand your codebase, documents, and files, executing complex tasks autonomously.

Claude Code

Anthropic

Agentic coding tool that lives in your terminal—understands your codebase, executes tasks, handles git workflows through natural language

Features:

CLI + VS Code + JetBrainsMulti-file editsGit integrationCLAUDE.md project context
Requires Claude Pro/Max/Teams ($20-100/mo)Best for: Developers who want AI that truly understands their entire codebase

Claude Cowork

Anthropic

Desktop agent for non-developers—'Claude Code for the rest of your work.' Reads, edits, and creates files in your local folders. Built primarily by Claude Code itself.

Features:

Local file accessExcel/PowerPoint/Word/PDFSub-agent coordinationBrowser integration via Chrome
Requires Claude Pro/Max/Teams ($20-100/mo)Best for: Knowledge workers who want AI to handle documents, spreadsheets, and file organization

Cursor

Cursor Inc.

AI-first IDE built on VS Code with Background Agents, BugBot for PR reviews, and persistent Memories across sessions

Features:

Background AgentsBugBot PR reviewsVisual EditorMulti-model support
Free tier, Pro $20/mo, Ultra $200/moBest for: Teams wanting full AI IDE experience with agentic workflows

Windsurf

Codeium

Agentic IDE with Cascade system—Write, Chat, and Turbo modes for different coding workflows

Features:

Cascade AI systemTurbo autonomous mode70+ language supportFree tier available
Free with SWE-1 Lite, Pro for full accessBest for: Developers new to AI coding tools—generous free tier, intuitive interface

Google Antigravity

Google

Agent-first IDE with Editor and Manager views—orchestrate multiple AI agents working in parallel across workspaces

Features:

Editor + Manager viewsMulti-agent orchestrationGemini 3 poweredArtifacts system
Free in public previewBest for: Complex projects needing parallel agent workflows

Task → Tool Decision Matrix

Quick reference: what to use for what.

TaskBest ToolRunner-upWhy
Write a report or documentClaudeChatGPTClaude excels at long-form, structured writing
Analyze a spreadsheetCopilotChatGPTNative Excel integration beats copy-pasting
Research a topic with sourcesPerplexityGeminiBuilt-in citations and real-time web access
Debug codeClaude CodeCursorUnderstands full codebase context, can execute fixes
Build a new featureCursorClaude CodeBackground agents + visual editor for rapid development
Refactor across filesClaude CodeWindsurfMulti-file edits with full project understanding
Organize files & documentsClaude CoworkCopilotDirect local file access, creates proper Excel/Word/PPT
Process receipts/invoicesClaude CoworkChatGPTReads files, outputs formatted spreadsheets with formulas
Summarize a meetingCopilotClaudeNative Teams integration captures everything
Generate imagesMidjourneyChatGPT (DALL-E)Midjourney v7 has best quality; ChatGPT is more convenient
Quick questionsChatGPTClaudeFastest response times, good free tier
Legal/compliance reviewClaudeChatGPTBest at careful, nuanced analysis
Complex multi-agent codingAntigravityCursorManager view orchestrates parallel agent workflows

Prompt Templates That Work

Copy, customize, and use. These patterns get better results than "just asking."

Analysis Framework

Reports, document review, strategic analysis
I need you to analyze [TOPIC/DOCUMENT].

Please structure your analysis as:
1. Executive Summary (3 sentences max)
2. Key Findings (bullet points)
3. Risks/Concerns
4. Recommendations
5. Next Steps

Be specific and actionable. Flag anything that needs human review.

Email Drafting

Professional communication, outreach
Write an email with these parameters:
- To: [RECIPIENT + their role]
- Purpose: [WHAT YOU WANT]
- Tone: [professional/friendly/urgent]
- Key points to include: [LIST]
- Constraints: [word limit, what to avoid]

Draft 2 versions: one concise, one detailed.

Code Review

Development, code quality
Review this code for:
1. Bugs or logic errors
2. Security vulnerabilities
3. Performance issues
4. Readability improvements

For each issue found:
- Severity (critical/medium/low)
- Line number
- What's wrong
- How to fix it

[PASTE CODE]

Meeting Prep

Sales calls, presentations, negotiations
I have a meeting about [TOPIC] with [ATTENDEES].

Help me prepare:
1. What questions should I anticipate?
2. What data/examples should I have ready?
3. What are the likely objections and how do I address them?
4. What's my ideal outcome and how do I steer toward it?

Context: [BACKGROUND]

Enterprise Setup Checklist

Rolling out AI tools to your team? Don't skip these.

Define use cases first

Don't just buy licenses—identify 3-5 specific workflows you want to improve

Start with a pilot group

10-20 power users who will actually use it daily and give feedback

Create usage guidelines

What's OK to put into AI tools? What's not? Make it clear.

Set up SSO/enterprise accounts

Consumer accounts don't have admin controls or data protection

Train, don't just deploy

2-hour training session = 10x more adoption than just sending login links

Measure what matters

Time saved, quality improvements, adoption rate. Pick 2-3 metrics.

Plan for ongoing support

These tools update constantly. Someone needs to stay current and share tips.

Ready to Level Up Your Team?

Custom Programs

Tailored AI training built around your team's actual workflows. We assess your needs, design a curriculum, and deliver hands-on sessions that stick.

  • On-site or remote delivery
  • Role-specific training tracks
  • Account setup & workflow configuration

AI Academy

Structured teaching sessions to get your team fluent in AI tools. From beginner fundamentals to advanced prompt engineering and automation.

  • Half-day, full-day, or multi-session formats
  • Live demos with real use cases
  • Hands-on exercises & templates

Not sure which option fits? Send us a message and we'll figure it out together.