Earlier this week, I posted about how I’ve been using AI tools to improve my writing and share some of my own experience. After that post went live, someone reached out and asked what AI tools I was actually using.
And honestly, that’s a great question.
This space is growing and changing so quickly. Some tools are starting to stand out for specific tasks. Others are better in certain workflows. So I thought, what better way to respond than to share the tools I’m using right now, where I’ve found them most useful, what their strengths are, and how you can start building real skill with them?
By the end of this post, my hope is that you feel inspired to explore tools beyond just ChatGPT.
The Four LLMs in My Stack
Claude.ai — Your Strategic Thinking Partner
I’ll be honest: prior to January 2026, I hadn’t been using Claude for anything. Then this January, I believe they released a new version, and it has literally been blowing me away. It has become my go-to for deeper thinking work — not just generating ideas, but actually working with me to think through problems.
Here’s where I believe Claude excels for L&D work:
- Instructional design analysis. I use Claude to help me think through course design challenges, map out learning pathways, and sense-check my instructional approach. It’s like having a thoughtful peer who asks questions.
- Content development. Whether I’m creating learning objectives, developing scenario-based training, drafting facilitator guides, or creating on-the-job knowledge articles, Claude helps me structure and think through the entire lifecycle of developing learning — from the initial introduction to continuous on-the-job support — before focusing on exact wording.
- Research and synthesis. If I need to pull together information on topics I’ve been researching or organize context from Subject Matter Experts, Claude helps me structure that thinking coherently.
- Application design. I’ve used it to help conceptualize applications that assist with practice or provide on-the-job support.
How to practice: Start using Claude for one specific challenge in your work. Use it as a thinking partner. Ask it questions like, “Here’s what I’m trying to achieve in this training. What questions should I be asking myself?” or “Do you think there is anything missing based on the prior knowledge of our learners?” That’s where it gets powerful.
ChatGPT — The All-Purpose Tool That Can Do a Little Bit of Everything
ChatGPT is the workhorse. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of AI tools. It may not be the best at any one thing, but it’s reliable for a lot of things.
What ChatGPT is great for:
- Quick content generation. Rough drafts of emails, social media posts, and course outlines — ChatGPT gets you to a starting point fast.
- Brainstorming and ideation. If you need to generate a bunch of ideas quickly (training topics, scenario ideas, engagement strategies), ChatGPT can flood you with options.
- Administrative tasks. Formatting, rewriting, and summarizing — it’s solid at the bread-and-butter content work.
- Learning about new topics. If you need a quick primer on something you don’t know well, ChatGPT can explain it in accessible language.
I’ve also noticed that ChatGPT’s photo generation tools have improved significantly, and I’ve increasingly been able to generate images that I can use in courses to support learners.
I’ve also created sample courses and chatbots in it that were able to help demonstrate evaluation criteria and rubrics.
The key difference from Claude? ChatGPT tends to be more surface-level. It’s faster, but it doesn’t always dig as deep. It’s great for getting things done. It’s also really good when you have content in front of it and just need it to analyze or transform that content. But when I need to really think something through and know it’s going to require multiple steps, I often reach for Claude.
How to practice: Use ChatGPT for time-consuming but straightforward tasks. Create five different versions of a job aid intro. Ask it to turn your presentation outline into a script. Time yourself — notice how it saves you 30 minutes on something that would have taken you an hour and a half to draft from scratch.
Perplexity — Your Research and Citation Partner
Perplexity is honestly my secret weapon for research.
It’s helpful when looking for additional research on learning topics, getting clarity around technical terms, or understanding concepts SMEs present without all the context you may need to fully identify what they’re discussing. This can prevent you from repeatedly reaching out while drafting content and instead allow them to simply review and verify accuracy.
Perplexity is designed to help you find, understand, and cite information in a way that the other tools don’t quite do.
What makes Perplexity special:
- Real-time search with citations. Perplexity gives you current information and actually cites its sources. This matters. If you’re researching a learning trend or pulling together evidence-based practices, you can see where the information is coming from.
- Follow-up research questions. You can dig deeper on a topic without starting from scratch each time.
- Professional citations. If you’re building a research-backed training recommendation or writing something that needs to stand up to scrutiny, Perplexity’s approach to citing sources is valuable.
- Industry trends and current data. Whether you need to understand what’s happening in learning technology, employee development, or workplace culture right now, Perplexity can give you current information with sources.
This one is underrated for L&D work. We often need to be able to say, “Here’s what the research shows,” and Perplexity makes that easier.
How to practice: Next time you’re designing instruction and content following your analysis, use Perplexity to research the topic and pull citations. Get comfortable with how it presents sources — that’s the skill you’re actually building.
Gemini — The Multimodal Option (and Growing)
Gemini (formerly Bard) gets less attention than the others, which is interesting to me. It’s not because it’s not good — it’s because it’s still finding its footing.
What Gemini brings to the table:
- Image and video analysis. Gemini can look at screenshots, diagrams, or images and help you interpret what’s in them or suggest improvements. This is useful if you’re designing visuals or analyzing course screenshots.
- Google Workspace integration. If you’re working in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, Gemini’s integration is seamless. You can ask it questions directly within the document you’re working on.
- Different conversational style. Some people find Gemini’s conversational approach more natural than others. It’s worth trying to see if it clicks for you.
- Evolving capabilities. Gemini is being developed rapidly, and it’s worth checking back periodically to see what’s new.
The honest take? Gemini is solid, but I reach for it less frequently than the others because the specific strengths of Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity serve my work better. But that might not be true for you — it depends on what you’re optimizing for.
How to practice: Start using Gemini for one specific task — maybe image analysis or writing in Google Docs — and give it a fair test run. You’ll quickly figure out if it works for your workflow.
Other Tools Worth Your Attention
While the big four are where I spend most of my time, there are other AI tools that I found while putting together this article that might be worth exploring:
- Copilot (Microsoft) — If you’re working in Microsoft Office, Copilot integration is built in. It’s worth learning if that’s your environment.
- Gamma, Beautiful.ai, or Tome — AI presentation tools that help you create professional decks quickly. If you present often, these might be worth exploring.
- Synthesia or D-ID — AI video creation tools. If you’re creating course or explainer videos, these tools claim to save a lot of time.
- MagicSlides or Decks.AI — If you need to turn presentations into scripts or vice versa, these appear to fill a specific niche.
- Notion AI or Coda — If you’re building knowledge management systems, these have helpful AI features. I had a great conversation with another L&D professional who used Notion AI to create an AI-powered knowledge base for their company.
The thing about exploring these tools? Don’t try to learn everything at once. Start with the four I’ve mentioned. Then, as you identify specific gaps in your workflow, explore other tools to fill them.
The Bottom Line
We’re at an interesting moment in L&D.
These tools are here. They’re useful. But they only become valuable when you use them intentionally and build real skill.
If you’re breaking into the field, learning these tools is part of your competitive advantage. If you’re established, learning these tools may reshape how you approach your work.
The people who will be most successful in 2026 aren’t ignoring AI. They’re thoughtfully experimenting, building judgment, and integrating the right tools into their workflow.
So pick one. Try it. See what happens.
What tools are you using? What’s working for you? I’d love to hear what’s resonating in your own work.
