Which AI tools could save your business time and money?

AI now has a far greater presence in our lives than many people realise. It enables the rapid facial recognition that unlocks our smartphones and allows us to tell our smart speakers what music we want to hear. AI rapidly gives our old photographs new life and generates “you might also want to buy” prompts when we shop online. 

AI personalises our social media feeds and powers our weather forecasts. AI is increasingly being used in the NHS, speeding up triage and analysis of scans, supporting earlier detection of cancer and other diseases. 

Many businesses now use AI, too, of course. According to ONS research, a quarter of UK firms used AI in 2025 – a 15 percentage point increase since September 2023. For large businesses (250+ employees), the figure is 44%. The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer (March 2026) puts AI use by all UK businesses at 66%, with 87% of them increasing productivity and 48% boosting their profits as a result.

Not all AI tools are free. Others offer a free plan with limited features and usage, which might be enough in some cases. Alternatively, paying for more functionality can give you so much more, without having to spend a lot.

You may already use ChatGPT, the UK’s most widely used AI tool. Businesses use it to create blogs, social posts, emails/marketing copy, etc, as well as for research, analysis, idea generation, admin support, etc. Alternatives include Gemini (Google), Copilot (Microsoft) and Claude (Anthropic).

Perplexity is another AI-powered research assistant that can quickly finds answers, summarise sources, help with market research and competitor checks. Zapier can automate repetitive tasks by connecting apps, using AI to streamline workflows. ClickUp is a free AI-powered productivity and project management platform, while Intercom provides AI chatbots and automated customer support (other options include Fin by Intercom and Lyro by Tidio).

Summary AI, Otter.ai, Granola and Fireflies.ai can save you lots of time by recording, transcribing and summarising meetings, capturing key talking points, decisions and recommended actions. AI-powered platform Zoviz enables users to quickly generate a new logo and brand identity (Looka and Brandmark are other options).

AI has also brought additional time-saving capability to existing digital tools. For example, Notion AI enables users to work quicker, stay organised and turn rough meeting notes into clear, usable content. Canva (with Magic Studio) offers AI-assisted graphic design, social media content, presentation and marketing visuals.

Pictory allows users to turn text into structured promo videos for social media, while Promo.com is an AI-platform that also enables businesses to create short, polished marketing videos. Surfer SEO is an AI-driven content optimisation and on-page SEO platform. It analyses top-ranking webpages in search engines to provide data-backed recommendations intended to help improve your rankings.

HubSpot’s AI Content Assistant and ChatSpot help businesses work faster, communicate better and automate everyday marketing and sales tasks. Hootsuite and Buffer both offer free AI social tools such as AI assisted scheduling, content and caption generation, as well as analytics for more efficient social media management.

Popular small business accounting software platforms QuickBooks, Xero, Sage and FreshBooks now also use AI to automate more tasks (eg generate invoices and track payment in real time), reduce errors and offer more valuable financial insights. AI powered HR tools such as Factorial, Access PeopleHR, Brightmine, BambooHR and HiBob can help UK small businesses cut admin time, improve recruitment and streamline compliance. There really is a bewildering selection of AI tools to explore and use. 

• Generative AI creates new content (eg text, images, audio, code or ideas) based on patterns learned from huge amounts of online data. Avoid becoming too reliant on generative AI, because although it can aid human judgement, it can’t replace it.  
• AI can give you incorrect information, so double-check AI-generated “facts” against reliable sources.
• Type in clear and specific prompts, explaining why you need the information. Context gives AI better understanding.
• Use AI to streamline repetitive tasks and processes. Also use it to create templates for proposals, quotes and customer responses, but always humanise the language where necessary. Ditto social posts, emails, product descriptions, web pages, etc.  
• Use AI strategically in specific areas, measure the results and learn lessons. Just as AI can improve over time, so can your ability to get the best out of it. 

Tech Adoption for Growth is a new, government-funded pilot programme offering free, practical digital support to help SMEs and sole traders in the South West get more value from digital tools. Eligible businesses are assessed and then randomly allocated to receive either one-to-one expert support or the opportunity to take part in expert-led workshops. To apply click here.