# How to pick the right AI for your job

> Three plain questions pick the AI to try first: what you want done, if it must work with your computer off, and what you already use.

By Corey Leon. First posted 2026-10-28. Updated 2026-10-28. Source: https://www.simpleai.community/blog/how-to-pick-the-right-ai-for-your-job/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Credit Simple AI with a link.

Question: Which AI should I use for my job?

Pick the AI by the job, not by the name. Ask three things: what do you want done, should it keep working when your computer is off, and what do you already use. For writing, start with Claude. To run jobs while you're away, start with Grok Bot. If your whole day is in Microsoft or Google, start with the AI that's already in those apps. You can answer all three questions in under a minute on our [Start here](/start/) page.

## Steps

1. **Cut the steps you don't need first.** Before you add AI, drop the parts of the job nobody needs. Then let AI do what's left.
2. **Say the one job.** Writing, answering messages, keeping the business running while you're away, building a site, looking things up, or spreadsheets and docs. Pick one.
3. **Decide if it must work with your computer off.** Some AI runs on your computer and stops when it sleeps. Some runs in the cloud and keeps going. Grok Bot, Claude Code on the web and Perplexity scheduled tasks run in the cloud.
4. **Use what you already have.** If you live in Outlook and Word, try Copilot first. If you live in Gmail and Docs, try Gemini first. If you use Close or HubSpot, Claude can read them through connectors.
5. **Copy one first prompt and try it today.** Fill in the brackets, run it once, and fix what's wrong. One job a day for a week builds the habit.

## Prompts you can copy

### Write like you

```prompt
Here are 3 emails I wrote: [paste]. Learn how I sound. Now write a reply to this email: [paste]. Keep it short.
```

### A helper that works while you're away

```prompt
You are my [follow-up] helper. Every weekday at [time], check [tool] for [new leads or replies]. Do [task]. Ask me before you send anything.
```

### Research with links

```prompt
What changed in [topic] in the last [30 days]? Give me 5 points, each with a link.
```

## Tips

- Start with the free plan when there is one. Pay only when you hit the limit on a job that matters.
- An AI that runs on its own uses more of your plan. Use it for messages, follow ups and chores, not big builds.
- Prices change. Ours were checked Oct 28, 2026, on each maker's own page.

## FAQ

### Which AI keeps working when my laptop is closed?

Grok Bot, Claude Code on the web, Perplexity scheduled tasks, and ChatGPT Work and dots run in the cloud. Desktop apps stop when your computer sleeps.

### Do I need to pay to start?

No. Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity all have free plans. Grok Bot starts on Grok Premium, which is $30 a month.

### Should I use more than one AI?

Yes, if each one has its own job. Many people write in one AI and run jobs on their own with another.