Tools and Platforms
All exercises in this playbook work with any AI chat tool. You don’t need a specific platform — use whatever you’re comfortable with. This page lists options by category for reference.
AI Chat Tools
Section titled “AI Chat Tools”These are the tools you’ll use for most exercises. Any one of them is sufficient.
| Tool | Best For | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) | General-purpose exercises, wide model selection | Free tier available. GPT-5 recommended for more complex exercises. | chatgpt.com |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Long-form analysis, nuanced reasoning | Strong at synthesis and following complex instructions. | claude.ai |
| Gemini (Google) | Integration with Google Workspace, multimodal tasks | Good for exercises involving documents or data in Google ecosystem. | gemini.google.com |
| Copilot (Microsoft) | Integration with Microsoft 365 | Useful if your workflow lives in Outlook, Word, and Teams. | copilot.microsoft.com |
| Perplexity | Research with cited sources | Search-first AI — best when you need current, referenced answers. | perplexity.ai |
Open-Source Models & Local AI
Section titled “Open-Source Models & Local AI”Run AI models on your own hardware for privacy, offline use, or cost savings. See Open vs. Closed Models for when and why you’d choose these over cloud-based tools.
Models
Section titled “Models”| Model | Developer | Best For | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3 | Meta | Strong general-purpose open model, wide ecosystem support | llama.meta.com |
| Mistral | Mistral AI | Efficient performance, good multilingual support | mistral.ai |
| Gemma | Lightweight models optimised for local use | ai.google.dev/gemma | |
| Qwen | Alibaba | Strong reasoning and multilingual capability | github.com/QwenLM |
| DeepSeek | DeepSeek | Strong coding and reasoning at smaller sizes | github.com/deepseek-ai |
| Phi | Microsoft | Compact models that punch above their size | azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/phi |
Tools to Run Local Models
Section titled “Tools to Run Local Models”| Tool | What It Does | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Ollama | Command-line tool to download and run models locally. Simplest way to get started. | ollama.com |
| LM Studio | Desktop app with a graphical interface for browsing, downloading, and running models. No command line needed. | lmstudio.ai |
| Jan | Open-source desktop app for running models locally with conversation management. | jan.ai |
| Open WebUI | Web-based chat interface that connects to Ollama or other local model backends. Gives you a ChatGPT-like experience locally. | openwebui.com |
Open-Source Model APIs
Section titled “Open-Source Model APIs”Use open models via cloud APIs without running your own hardware. Data still passes through a third party, but typically at lower cost than closed model APIs.
| Service | What It Does | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Together AI | API access to a wide range of open models | together.ai |
| Groq | Extremely fast inference for open models | groq.com |
| Fireworks AI | Fast, cost-effective open model hosting | fireworks.ai |
| Hugging Face | The largest hub for open models — browse, test, and deploy | huggingface.co |
Agent Frameworks
Section titled “Agent Frameworks”Referenced in the advanced Agent Collaboration exercises. Not required for any exercise — the playbook teaches agent thinking through manual prompting first.
| Framework | What It Does | When to Explore | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| CrewAI | Python framework for orchestrating multiple AI agents with defined roles | After completing AC-Advanced-01 — when you want to automate the handoffs you did manually | crewai.com |
| AutoGen (Microsoft) | Framework for building multi-agent conversations | When you want agents that can talk to each other without manual copy-pasting | github.com/microsoft/autogen |
| LangGraph (LangChain) | Framework for building stateful agent workflows with graph-based logic | When you need complex conditional logic in your agent pipelines | langchain-ai.github.io/langgraph |
Automation Tools
Section titled “Automation Tools”Relevant to the Workflow Automation pillar, especially at the advanced level.
| Tool | What It Does | When to Explore | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| n8n | Open-source workflow automation with AI integration nodes | After completing WA-Advanced-01 — when you want to automate your prompt chains | n8n.io |
| Make (formerly Integromat) | Visual workflow builder with AI steps | Good for non-technical users who want to automate without code | make.com |
| Zapier | Simple automation connectors between apps, with AI actions | Best for straightforward automations: trigger → AI step → action | zapier.com |
Productivity Integrations
Section titled “Productivity Integrations”Tools that embed AI into existing workflows.
| Tool | What It Does | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Notion AI | AI writing and analysis built into Notion workspace | notion.so |
| Obsidian + Smart Connections | AI-powered linking and search within an Obsidian vault | obsidian.md |
| Raycast AI | Quick AI access from any application on macOS | raycast.com |
| Google Workspace AI | AI features embedded in Docs, Sheets, Gmail | workspace.google.com |