MAX’S NOTES
How to choose an AI tool for your task
Skip the universal ranking and run a small comparison on your own work. Judge the useful result, not how convincing the product description sounds.
To choose an AI tool for work, give several available tools the same representative task and compare their responses against criteria you set beforehand. Your conclusion should apply to that task, not every possible use of AI.
A model name, an impressive demo and a long feature list do not show how much work remains for you. I would start with a small assignment whose result you can verify yourself.
Choose a task with a checkable outcome
Shortening text, extracting information or drafting a message from supplied facts can be useful first comparisons.
For a fictional example, turn an exhibition notice into a short reminder. Check that the location, time and required actions survive, and that no conditions are invented.
Avoid starting with a question whose correct answer you cannot establish. Otherwise, you may simply be comparing persuasive writing.
Keep the inputs comparable
Use the same source and prompt. Start in comparable conditions, such as without an earlier conversation that gives one tool extra clues. Note whether web search is enabled and files are attached.
Microsoft documents running the same prompt across several models in its development environment. [1] Our simple comparison does not require that feature: you can save responses manually. It is not a claim that every chat offers built-in model comparison.
Make an assessment card
For each response, record:
- Accuracy: were the supplied facts preserved?
- Completeness: were required details retained?
- Constraint following: were the format and restrictions respected?
- Practicality: how much substantive editing did you need?
Grounding in the input, relevance and completeness are also distinguished in Microsoft's documentation for evaluating generative responses. [2] Our checklist is a simplified editorial adaptation, not a certified model benchmark.
Do not hide a critical error inside an overall score. An invented event time matters more than a good headline.
Record the conditions, not just a winner
Keep the date, tool and selected model, available features, source, prompt, response and notes. If you compare speed, explain how you measured it. Check pricing conditions separately when they affect the task.
One good response is one observation. Repeat the comparison on several representative tasks before generalizing to all your work.
When the simpler option is enough
For occasional short requests, a tool you already have may suffice. For repeated work, file handling, review procedures and usage limits also matter.
The right choice produces an acceptable result under suitable conditions and leaves a manageable amount of manual work. That is a conclusion to reach through checking, not a promise attached to a brand. No comparative product tests were performed for this article.