Selecting an AI Tool

One of the easiest ways to start seeing immediate gains from AI is simply giving your employees access to the right tool.

You don’t always need a custom solution to get value from AI. Off the shelf tools have come a long way, and when your team has access to one that fits how they work, they can start learning, experimenting, and building their own workflows without waiting on a development project.

The question is which one is right for your organisation. Here is our assessment:

Claude: Best Performance

For most businesses, Claude is our top recommendation.

If you use the Claude for Teams subscription, Anthropic will NOT use your data to train their models.

It is the strongest performer across the widest range of tasks and has the best integrations available, meaning your team can connect it to the software systems they already use and start automating real workflows, not just having conversations.

Strengths:

• Smartest models
• Easiest to integrate with external software systems
• Easiest for non-technical users to build their own automations

Watch out for:

• Data residency: if you have strict requirements for data to reside in Australia you will need an Enterprise agreement with Anthropic.
• Usage limits: Claude is one of the more expensive AI models to use and you may run into usage limits if you stick to the standard subscription tiers.

If your goal is to go beyond basic AI use and actually embed it into how your business operates, Claude gives you the most room to grow. Find out more about Claude Training.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: Best for Security

For enterprise clients or those with strict data residency requirements, Copilot is often the natural choice.

It sits directly inside the Microsoft 365 environment your team already works in, and for organisations that need their data to stay in Australia, Microsoft offers local data residency, which is a hard requirement for many of our larger clients.

If security, compliance, and Office 365 integration are priorities, Copilot is the right fit.

Strengths:

• Data security: your data stays inside your Microsoft tenant and is NOT used for training models.
• Data residency: Australian companies can use M365 Copilot without their data going overseas.
• Close integration with Microsoft applications like Outlook, Excel and Word.

Watch out for:

• Complexity: M365 Copilot is one of the more complicated AI tools out there and definitely requires training to see the full benefits.
• Cost of integrations: connecting external software systems to M365 Copilot will be more expensive due to Microsoft’s strict security requirements.
• Limits to non-technical automation: most value still comes from manual prompts rather than full workflow automation.

For large enterprises and government departments, M365 Copilot’s data security normally makes it the obvious choice. Find out more about Copilot Training.

Gemini: Best for Google Workspace Teams

If your business already runs on Google Workspace, Gemini is worth serious consideration.

It integrates closely with Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Sheets, making it a natural fit without additional setup.

The best AI tool is often the one that slots into your existing environment with the least friction.

Strengths:

• Deep Google Workspace integration across Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Meet.
• Handles video content for summaries and analysis.
• Generous usage limits for daily use.

Watch out for:

• Weaker outside Google Workspace environments.
• Fewer third-party integrations compared to Claude.

If Google Workspace is the backbone of how your team operates, Gemini is the path of least resistance.

ChatGPT: Best for Smaller Businesses Getting Started

For smaller businesses already familiar with ChatGPT and conscious of cost, it remains a solid starting point.

It is accessible, well known, and easy to get your team using quickly.

Strengths:

• Strong all-rounder across everyday tasks.
• Handles video content similar to Gemini.
• Generous usage limits for frequent use.
• High familiarity reduces adoption friction.

Watch out for:

• Limited integrations and automation capability.
• You may outgrow it as needs mature.

For getting a team comfortable with AI quickly and cheaply, ChatGPT is a reliable entry point. Find out more about ChatGPT training.