Yes, the popular chatbot is available, but other free AI tools for small-business owners can provide branding help, transcribe teleconferences, and even turn text into video.
While artificial intelligence is not new technology, in recent years we have seen it develop in ways we had never dreamt possible as recently as 10 years ago.
Today we are seeing AI make its way into various applications and tools, transforming the way we work and do business. And this technology is available for anyone to use, even small businesses. And some applications are available at no cost.
We shall look at a few of these free AI tools and how they improve your business workflows.
ChatGPT
Of the AI tools available in the market, ChatGPT is the most well-known. With just a few text prompts, this chatbot uses natural language to provide comprehensive and cohesive answers to any questions. It can even offer business advice if requested. It is currently free for use, though its developer, OpenAI, is looking at offering a paid version.
There is a caveat that the information ChatGPT generates is not always fully accurate. This is a reminder for one not to rely on it fully to provide the right answers.
Lumen5
Research has determined that humans tend to learn better through visual media, rather than just plain text. So, if you have written content like a blog, whitepaper or article that you would like to convert to video to reach a wider audience, Lumen5 is the AI tool for you. It is also easy to use: Provide the URL link to the written content and choose from any of the templates available in the tool. Once LumenAI generates the video, there are also tools available for you to make further edits.
“Small businesses have a great opportunity to be ahead of the curve and see their business thrive with the help of AI.”
Lumen5 has a free plan that offers limited features – if you want further functionality, the paid plans start at US$49 ($74) per month.
Brandmark.io
Brandmark.io is a free AI tool that helps you generate styles and logos based on the description of your brand. In a way, it is the ChatGPT of branding. It provides a range of branding choices, with various colours, fonts, and images available to choose from.
While using the app itself is free, you will be required to get the paid version, with pricing that starts at US$25 ($38), if you wish to download the generated branding as a high-resolution image.
Copy.ai
For those who need to do some copywriting for their ads, Copy.ai does the job. It is a free copywriting service that uses AI to create copy material. Users can generate copywriting content by entering a few text prompts on the app and a brief description. You can select the style and tone of the material as well.
Fireflies.ai
For those who were not able to catch what was discussed in a meeting or forum, Fireflies.ai can help. The free tool can record, transcribe and search all of the conversations that take place during a meeting or forum. You can also select text from the generated transcripts and then perform quick actions such as copying and pasting the selected content onto another app or window.
Namelix
Just like the aforementioned Brandmark, Namelix also deals with branding but this time for brand names themselves. It can generate a brand name for your business based on a few text prompts that describe your product or business. It generates a variety of options to choose from and selects the style of the name.
AI is still a relatively young technology and the experience is not always going to be smooth sailing. But developers are constantly improving the technology so one can expect that more exciting days are ahead. Small businesses have a great opportunity to be ahead of the curve and see their business thrive with the help of AI.
This story first appeared in issue 41 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
