Which AI automation tools are worth buying

AI automation tools promise to save time and money, but plenty don't. This is what to look for before you buy one.

Useful kinds of AI automation

Content automation:

• blog post generators with SEO features
• social media content schedulers
• personalized email marketing
• product description generators

Customer support:

• AI chatbots connected to a knowledge base
• ticket routing and prioritization
• sentiment analysis for support emails

Data processing:

• pulling data out of invoices, receipts and contracts
• cleaning and normalizing data
• turning raw data into reports

Workflow automation:

• AI steps in Zapier or Make.com
• CRM automation with AI lead scoring
• HR screening automation

What to avoid

• tools that just wrap a ChatGPT API call and add nothing
• "AI" tools with no machine learning in them
• tools with hidden per-use API costs
• tools that need your API keys, so you pay the AI costs

How to check a tool before you buy

• Ask for a live demo in the deal chat.
• Check that the source code is included.
• Find out whether it needs API keys.
• Test it on your real use case.
• Read the documentation.

With escrow, the seller isn't paid until you confirm the tool does what the listing promised.