Assistant
Responds to a person’s request. Useful for a draft or idea, with human checking.
Free AI tools
Assistant, workflow or agent?
Start with the work—not the newest technology.
What kind of help fits?
These words describe different ways of working—not a ladder everyone must climb.
Start with a person or an assistant
For a one-off question or draft, an approved AI assistant may help. A template or ordinary search may be simpler. A person checks the output.
Workflow
A repeatable sequence of steps. It can often use ordinary software without AI.
Agent
May complete several steps and use tools. Needs stronger boundaries and technical assurance.
First question: what problem needs solving? It may not need a new tool at all.