5 AI Tools I’m Using Right Now - and How They Could Streamline Your Work

What does it actually look like to use AI tools in the real world, beyond the usual chatbot prompts and hype?In this episode of AI-Curious, Jeff Wilser shares five AI tools and workflows that are shaping how he works right now, from Claude Code and personalized news briefings to NotebookLM, multi-model prompting, and using AI to write more closely in your own voice. The goal is not to offer a comprehensive list of every AI product on the market, but to show how these tools can be used in practical ways that expand capability, streamline research, and create new workflows.We explore how vibe coding and AI agents can help non-coders build useful internal tools, why personalized AI news feeds may become increasingly common, and how NotebookLM can synthesize large amounts of information across transcripts, documents, and YouTube videos. We also look at the benefits of using multiple AI models together instead of relying on just one, and why feeding AI much richer context can dramatically improve writing outputs.Throughout the episode, we return to a core idea: using AI to empower, not eliminate. Rather than treating AI only as a cost-cutting tool, we examine how it can help individuals and businesses do more, think more creatively, and build smarter systems around the work that matters most.Key topics we cover3:15 — Claude Code, vibe coding, and why non-coders should be paying attention6:01 — Building a custom AI-powered conference outreach and research tool11:05 — “AI to empower, not eliminate” as a guiding philosophy16:16 — Personalized AI news briefings and the future of customized information21:58 — How NotebookLM helps synthesize transcripts, documents, and YouTube content27:04 — Why a “polymodel” approach can be better than relying on one chatbot31:15 — Using AI to write more closely in your own voice through deeper contextFollow AI-Curious on your favorite podcast platform:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeAll Other PlatformsFor anyone interested in Jeff’s AI Workshops for their company:Reach out directly at [email protected]