This article is exclusively accessible to Business Insider subscribers. To unlock it, become an Insider. Are you already a subscriber? Throughout the year, I explored over 15 AI tools and features with diverse applications. Among them, Google's AI Overviews stands out as my preferred tool because it offers quick answers efficiently. NotebookLM's Audio Overviews is both engaging and informative, making it ideal for learning about new topics. As companies accelerated AI deployment this year, consumers faced a deluge of AI product announcements, often difficult to keep up with. The good news is that many of these tools are free, allowing users to experiment and discover practical uses. This year, I interacted with more than 15 AI tools and features, from chatbots to virtual shopping assistants and smart mirrors, showing AI's growing ubiquity and its integration across industries. While several tools impressed me initially, their novelty faded, and I didn't continue using them regularly. However, a few tools made a lasting impact and seamlessly integrated into my daily routine. Here are my top five, ranked by frequency of use. 1. **AI Overviews**: Essential for daily use, enhancing search without launching another app. It gives concise information directly in search results, useful for quick facts like contact info or product release dates, with source links for fact-checking. 2.

**NotebookLM's Audio Overview**: Offers personalized AI experiences. Users can create a podcast with two AI hosts discussing uploaded content, like articles or YouTube links, useful for topic learning or presentation inspiration. 3. **ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode**: Offers a conversational, human-like AI interaction, entertaining and helpful for complex inquiries when voice responses are preferred over typing. 4. **Otter. ai**: Provides AI-based transcription services, offering 300 free monthly minutes and 30-minute session limits. It transcribes accurately, summarizes recordings, and highlights action items, enhancing efficiency, especially in finding specific topics. 5. **Amazon's Rufus**: An AI shopping assistant that enhances purchasing decisions and helps track purchase history, proving more useful in shopping contexts than in general inquiries. Next, explore AI advancements from Google and OpenAI.