AI Fundamentals · Lesson 2 · about 20 minutes
Choosing an AI Tool: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot
There is no single best AI tool. There is the tool that fits the way you already work. Pick one, learn it properly, and only then try others.
The four tools most people in Kenya use
| Tool | Made by | Fits best if you | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI | Want a general assistant for writing, ideas and analysis | The most widely used; large range of features |
| Claude | Anthropic | Work with long documents and careful writing | Handles long files well; strong at clear, structured writing |
| Gemini | Live in Gmail, Google Docs and Google Sheets | Connects to Google Workspace | |
| Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft | Live in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams | Built into Microsoft 365 business plans |
All four have a free version that is enough to complete this course. Paid plans give you newer models, more use per day and features such as file analysis. Prices and limits change often, so always check the provider’s own pricing page before you pay. Our ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini comparison for Kenyan businesses goes deeper.
Free plan or paid plan?
Start free. Move to a paid plan when one of these is true:
- You hit the daily limit most days.
- You need to upload long documents or spreadsheets regularly.
- You use AI for client or company material and need a business plan, whose terms usually commit the provider not to train on your data. Read the terms of the plan you choose to confirm this.
To work out whether a paid plan pays for itself, use your own numbers: hours a week the tool saves you, multiplied by what an hour of your time is worth, compared with the monthly price in shillings. If the saving is not clearly bigger, stay on the free plan.
Three settings to check on day one
- Training on your chats. Most consumer accounts let you switch off the use of your conversations to improve the model. Find the setting and decide on purpose.
- Chat history. Know where your past chats are stored and how to delete them.
- Sign-in security. Turn on two-step verification. Your AI history can contain a lot about your work.
Phone or computer?
All four tools have mobile apps, which are handy for quick drafts and voice notes. For anything longer than a short message, a computer is faster: you can paste, compare and edit side by side.
Lesson 3 shows you how to ask so that whichever tool you choose gives you work you can actually use.
Key takeaways
- Pick the AI tool that fits where you already work: Copilot for Microsoft Office, Gemini for Google Workspace.
- The free versions of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot are enough to start using AI at work.
- Before pasting work material, check whether your chats can be used to train the model and switch it off if needed.
- Pay for a plan only when the hours it saves you are clearly worth more than its monthly price in shillings.
Your task this week
Open one AI tool you have not used before, create a free account, and find its data or privacy settings. Write down whether your chats can be used to train the model and how to switch that off. Then give it the same request you gave your usual tool and compare the two answers.
Check your understanding
Three quick questions. Your answers stay on your device.