7 Fascinating AI Tools You've NEVER Seen Before (Underground AI #4)
TLDRIn this episode of 'Underground AI,' the host explores lesser-known AI tools that aren't from major companies like Open AI, Microsoft, or Google. Instead, he focuses on innovative tools from solo creators and small builders. The video features a game called 'Should this be a standalone app?' where the host evaluates the necessity of these tools as separate entities. He discusses several tools, including Locus, an AI-powered Chrome extension that provides a better find function; Intellis XYZ, an app that turns spoken tasks into a checklist; Blog Fox, which converts YouTube videos into blog posts; GEOS spy, a tool that identifies the location of a photo; Rec craft, a platform for generating AI images; and Brainy Docs, which turns PDFs into explainer videos. The host also highlights a fun AI game where elements can be mixed to create new things. Throughout the video, he provides free alternatives to the paid tools and encourages feedback on whether to continue with this format.
Takeaways
- 🔍 **Locus Extension**: A Chrome extension that enhances the browser's find function, providing context even if the exact word isn't in the article. It has a free tier but also offers a paid plan at $7.50 per month.
- 📈 **IntelliXYZ**: A simple app that turns your spoken daily tasks into a checklist. It costs $3 per month and, while useful, might not offer enough unique features to justify the cost over free alternatives.
- 📝 **Blog Fox**: Converts YouTube videos into blog posts. It's quite efficient but has a pricing structure that may be considered high for what it offers, especially when free tools can achieve similar results.
- 🌍 **Geosy**: A tool that can determine the location where a photo was taken based on the image content. It performed well and is available for free, making it a unique and valuable service.
- 🎨 **Recraft**: Allows users to create AI-generated vector images, which are infinitely scalable. It's a free tool that stands out for its ability to produce high-quality vector graphics, which are useful for creating logos and similar designs.
- 📚 **Brainy Docs**: Transforms PDFs into explainer videos using AI. It's a time-saving tool but has a pricing model that may be too expensive for the value it provides, especially when considering the length of documents it can process.
- 🧩 **Infinitec**: A creative game that uses AI to mix elements and create new things. It's entirely free and offers endless possibilities for combinations, making it an engaging and imaginative tool.
- 💡 **AI Tools Evaluation**: The video discusses various AI tools, considering their value and whether they should exist as standalone apps, especially when free alternatives are available.
- 💰 **Pricing and Value**: A common theme is the discussion of whether the cost of the tools is justified when compared to the functionality they offer and the availability of free alternatives.
- 🔧 **Tool Functionality**: Many tools showcased offer unique features, but the video questions if their functionality is distinct enough from free tools to warrant a subscription.
- ✅ **Free Alternatives**: The script provides examples of how to achieve similar results to the paid tools using free alternatives like Chat GPT, Cloud 3, and other AI services.
- 🚀 **Novel Concepts**: The video appreciates novel concepts and ideas in AI tools and encourages developers to find ways to differentiate their products in the market.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the 'Underground AI' series?
-The 'Underground AI' series aims to uncover and showcase lesser-known AI tools created by solo creators and smaller builders who are experimenting with the current crop of AI technology.
What is the host's issue with the majority of AI tools submitted to Future Tools?
-The host finds that many of the tools submitted to Future Tools are starting to look the same, and most require payment, despite the existence of free alternatives or the possibility of using existing subscriptions to other AI services.
How does the Locus extension work?
-The Locus extension is a Chrome extension designed to enhance the browser's find function. It searches for context related to the user's query, even if the specific word isn't mentioned in the article.
What is the host's critique of the Locus extension's pricing model?
-The host criticizes Locus's pricing model for charging a monthly fee for a service that uses GPT 3.5, which is available for free. The host also finds the presentation of the pricing on the website to be untransparent.
What is the name of the tool that the host finds to be a better alternative to Locus?
-The host finds the tool 'Perplexity' to be a better alternative to Locus, as it provides a more organized and arguably better summary of the text.
What is the concept behind Intellis XYZ?
-Intellis XYZ is a tool that converts spoken instructions into a task list. If a task is not completed, it is moved to a list of previously uncompleted items, and the user has the option to move it back to the current day's task list.
What is the host's opinion on the pricing transparency of Intellis XYZ?
-The host is critical of Intellis XYZ's pricing transparency, noting that the website lists the price as '$3' without specifying that it is a monthly fee, which could mislead potential users.
What does the host find appealing about the Blog Fox tool?
-The host finds Blog Fox appealing because it saves users a lot of steps by converting YouTube videos into high-quality blog posts in a single process, which would otherwise require multiple tools and steps.
What is the host's concern regarding the pricing of Blog Fox?
-The host is concerned that the pricing for Blog Fox is excessive for what it offers, especially when compared to the number of blog posts one could create for free using other tools.
What is the unique feature of the GEOS spy tool?
-The unique feature of GEOS spy is its ability to determine the location where a photo was taken based on the content of the image.
What is the host's recommendation for creating logos and vector graphics with AI?
-The host recommends RecCraft as the first place to go for creating logos and vector graphics with AI, as it generates high-quality vector graphics that are infinitely scalable.
What does the host think about the pricing model of Brainy Docs?
-The host believes that the pricing model of Brainy Docs is too expensive for what it offers, especially considering the number of pages and videos that can be created with the service.
What is the name of the game that uses AI to combine elements and create new things?
-The game that uses AI to combine elements and create new things is called 'Infinitec' and it can be found at neal.fun.
Outlines
🔍 Exploring Lesser-Known AI Tools
The video introduces a series called 'Underground AI,' which aims to showcase lesser-known AI tools created by solo developers and small builders. The host discusses the challenge of distinguishing between genuinely novel tools and those that seem to be reiterations of existing, often free, AI technologies. The episode's unique approach involves evaluating whether certain AI tools merit being standalone applications.
📚 Locus Extension: A Contextual Search Tool
The host reviews 'Locus,' a Chrome extension that enhances the browser's find function by providing context-based search results even when the exact word is not present in the text. Despite Locus offering a free plan, the host criticizes its pricing and lack of transparency, as well as the use of GPT 3.5 instead of more advanced models. A comparison is made with 'Perplexity,' a similar but free tool that provides arguably better summarization.
✅ Intellis XYZ: Task List Creation from Voice Commands
Intellis XYZ is presented as a simple app that converts spoken daily tasks into a checklist. The host notes the app's basic functionality and the option to integrate with Google Calendar. However, they express concerns about the pricing transparency, as the app costs $3 per month, which is not immediately clear from the homepage. Despite this, the app is acknowledged for its straightforward approach to task management.
📝 Blog Fox: Converting YouTube Videos to Blog Posts
Blog Fox is highlighted as a tool that converts YouTube videos into blog posts. The host tests the tool using their own AI news video, noting the time it takes to generate the content. The resulting blog post includes an embedded video, a beginning paragraph, and an FAQ section. The host compares the output to what could be achieved using free tools like chat GPT or Claude, concluding that while Blog Fox is useful, its pricing may be excessive.
🌍 GEOS Spy: Geolocating Photos
GEOS Spy is introduced as a tool that can determine the location where a photo was taken based on the image content. The host tests the tool with personal photos, noting that it accurately identifies the locations of a Yosemite landscape, a Maui beach, and Milford Sound in New Zealand. The tool is praised for its accuracy and free availability, with the host noting that while similar results might be achieved with other tools, GEOS Spy provides a more straightforward and effective solution.
🎨 RecCraft: AI-Generated Vector Art
RecCraft is showcased as a platform for creating AI-generated vector images, which are infinitely scalable and can be exported as SVG files. The host demonstrates the creation of a line art image of a wolf howling at the moon and appreciates the tool's ability to generate vector graphics, which are not commonly available in other AI art generators. The host also notes that rasterized images can be vectorized within the tool, making it a valuable resource for logo creation and other design needs.
📈 Brainy Docs: PDF to Explainer Video Conversion
Brainy Docs is reviewed as a tool that converts PDFs into explainer videos. The host critiques the pricing model, which limits the number of pages and videos that can be created per month. Despite this, the host acknowledges the time-saving potential of the tool and its ability to automate the process of creating slide presentations and narrated videos from PDF documents. The host demonstrates the tool's effectiveness using a research paper from archive.org, noting the quality of the generated video and slides.
🎲 Infinitec: AI-Powered Element Mixing Game
The video concludes with a discussion of 'Infinitec,' a game that uses AI to allow players to mix elements and create new things. The host describes the game as highly engaging and creative, with the ability to combine elements in countless ways to discover new creations. The host emphasizes the game's unique use of AI to determine the outcomes of element combinations and invites viewers to try the game for themselves.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Underground AI
💡Standalone app
💡Future tools
💡Subscription
💡Locus extension
💡Pricing Tab
💡Generative AI service
💡Perplexity
💡Claude
💡Subscription model criticism
Highlights
The video discusses lesser-known AI tools created by solo developers and small builders.
The host plays a game called 'Should this be a standalone app?' to evaluate the uniqueness of various AI tools.
Many submitted tools feel redundant and charge money, despite free alternatives being available.
Locus, an AI tool, is critiqued for its lack of audio in its explainer video and for using outdated technology.
Locus is compared to Perplexity, a well-known tool that offers similar functionality for free.
Intellis XYZ is a task-list app that turns spoken tasks into a checklist but is considered overpriced at $3/month.
Blog Fox converts YouTube videos into blog posts, offering a time-saving solution for content creation.
Geosy is a tool that can determine the location of a photo based on its content, impressing with its accuracy.
RecCraft is a vector image generator that creates scalable logos and graphics, offering a unique service not found in free tools.
Brainy Docs converts PDFs into explainer videos, but its pricing model is criticized for being expensive and limiting.
The game 'Infinitec' allows users to mix elements to create new things, showcasing the creative potential of AI.
The host emphasizes the importance of differentiating AI tools and finding a unique value proposition.
The video provides free alternatives to the paid tools discussed, encouraging viewers to explore cost-effective options.
Feedback from viewers is invited to improve future videos and content.
The host expresses appreciation for viewers and invites subscriptions for more AI-related content.
