How I used AI in 2025
I use AI extensively, at work and for everything outside of work. Since I work on and use AI extensively, I often get asked about my preferred tools. So I put together a list of AI tools I used in 2025. This list is not fully comprehensive, there were a lot of side projects that I used one-off models but I tried to stick to the big buckets. Hope you find this useful.
My AI tool use in 2025. Image courtesy Nano Banana Pro.
1. The “Everything” Chatbot
Like you, my reader, I use chatbots for everything these days. Sometimes it is to ask about cooking recipes. Other times, it is to get a quick refresher on stock valuations. And then there are random pictures I snap (or do a live session) with a chatbot to understand better, like why my avocado tree isnt fruiting.
Tool(s): ChatGPT was my go-to Chatbot for much of this year so much so it started replacing my regular google search for some topics. Gemini 3 changed this dynamic last month and I have found myself using Gemini way more than ChatGPT. I expect this to be the most dynamic category especially as models improve along the axes that I most care about.
2. Coding Tools
The biggest benefit of LLMs for me is that I can now bring of my personal projects to life as an app, all in an hour or less. For a pickleball tournament this Spring, I built a comprehensive webapp with Replit. I fiddled a bunch with antigravity this past month and have also used Codex on and off with VS Code. But by far the most used tool for coding has been Claude Code. It transformed how I built my projects and I swear by it. It is that good. Ok, maybe the daily limits arent that friendly, especially if you are deep in a coding session. But Claude Code it is.
Tool(s): Claude Code by far with the occasional use of Codex and Gemini antigravity.
3. Brainstorming
One of the ways I have integrated AI into my life is to use it as my brainstorming partner. Every day when I walk my dog, I have my Ray-Ban Meta glasses and I use Meta AI voice mode or ChatGPT advanced voice mode to brainstorm on ideas. I have brainstormed on how to incorporate meditation into my life (I failed), on how to slow down (middling luck) and on building board games (I have a working prototype). Its super fun and with a high quality voice tool, its transformative.
Tool(s): ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, Meta AI Voice
4. Learning New Things
Another huge benefit of using AI is to be able to learn things at my own pace. Sometimes I start with ELIF and other times, I ask the chatbot to dive directly into specifics. Being able to say, "Explain this, but skip the basics." changed everything. Again, voice is a big element here, especially when I am walking the dog or during a long commute. Building a learning plan with Gemini and then listening and learning by voice has been really fun. NotebookLM has also been super helpful especially with Gemini 3 where it helps not only learn but also build infographics and slide decks.
Tool(s): Gemini Voice Mode, ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, NotebookLM
5. My artist and designer
I stopped overthinking infographics and images. I used to labor editing images on Adobe Lightroom and then adding text and effects on Snapseed or one-off tools. But with GPT Image Generation in the summer (yes I did the Ghibli thing too) and more recently the incredible Nano Banana Pro. Coupled with NotebookLM or Google Slides, Nano Banana Pro is just outstanding. One good prompt and I have something that is good enough to ship, fast enough to iterate.
Tool(s): Nano Banana Pro, DALL-E 3 (ChatGPT Plus), GPT Image Generation
6. Fun Videos
I have had a ton of fun making videos this year using AI. With Meta AI Vibes, Sora and Veo 3.1, I can go from idea to an 8-sec video in just a few minutes. Its super easy and addictive.
Tool(s): Veo 3/3.1, Meta AI Vibes, Sora.
7. Editing (like this blog post)
As a simple editing tool, AI can be quite potent. I find that its quite easy to dump a bunch of rough ideas into a tool, let it work on the potential ways to talk about it and then pick one and dive deep. Its also good for editing when done (sometimes I find it to dilute my style but for business writing, quite helpful).
Tool(s): All chatbots, Claude maybe a tad more than others.
8. Deep Research
Next Fall, my son heads to college and AI has been incredibly in helping me research colleges and programs,There is a good bit of hallucinations but for a broad picture, the chatbots are quite helpful.
Tool(s): ChatGPT and Gemini.
Beyond the above, I dabbled a bunch with doing stuff on my computer with small models, had fun building evals and using LLM as a judge for obscure topics and much more. I also did a trivia contest on Indian movies and ads using ChatGPT. In all, with the right kind of prompting, there is nothing you cant do with AI.
As I enter 2026, I am excited to continue to put AI to work in my everyday life, helping me get things done faster and better so I have more time for my family and hobbies.