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Choosing productivity AI tools — start from what you already use
The first criterion here is not features but whether it runs inside the tools you already use. A tool that needs another window loses usage no matter how good it is.
Integration first Real usage Real product list
The short answer
Productivity tools succeed or fail on usage. Buying a good tool nobody uses is the most common failure in this category.
The biggest driver of usage is integration. Running inside the documents, mail and chat you already use needs almost no training; needing a separate window means it is forgotten after week one.
Candidates by use
| Use | What to look at | Real products |
|---|---|---|
| AI built into your suite | Match with the suite you already run | Google Gemini · Microsoft Copilot |
| Documents-plus-data workspace | Cost of migrating existing documents | Notion |
| Deck and document generation | Draft quality and editing freedom | Gamma |
| Meeting notes | Korean accuracy and speaker separation | Notta |
| Multi-app assistant | Connected app list and permission scope | Bhindi |
What to check
Three things that raise usage
First, start with one team. Company-wide rollout does not distribute the learning load, and the verdict arrives before anyone is competent.
Second, name three concrete uses. "Make use of AI" produces no behaviour. "Meeting notes with this tool, drafts with this prompt" does.
Third, look at usage after four weeks. Low usage is usually an integration problem or a use-definition problem, not a tool problem. Check those two before switching tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AI in our existing suite enough?
For many organisations, yes — the integration advantage is large and accounts are already connected. Where it falls short on a specific job, such as Korean meeting notes, attaching a specialist tool for that job alone is reasonable.
How do we choose a meeting notes tool?
Korean accuracy, speaker separation, and where the recordings are stored. Meeting content is often sensitive, so look at data terms before features.
Are multi-app assistants safe?
The key is whether permissions can be scoped down — read-only, one folder. And put approval gates on irreversible actions like sending and deleting.
Can we keep using the personal account we started on?
The data terms differ and there is no audit log. If internal documents are involved, move to an organisational plan.
Product list
Narrow the candidates
The AI product directory filters productivity products by pricing type and Korean support.