How to choose an AI assistant for work: a buyer's checklist
A neutral checklist for comparing AI assistants and AI features for work: capabilities, data terms, admin controls, integrations, cost and fit.
By the AiTrain editorial team · Reviewed under our editorial standards
There is no single "best" AI assistant. The right choice depends on the tasks your people do, the software you already use, your data requirements and your budget. This checklist helps you compare options fairly, whatever brands are on your shortlist.
Key takeaways
- Start from your tasks, then test tools on those tasks.
- Data terms and admin controls matter as much as answer quality for business use.
- AI already built into your existing software may cover many needs.
- Run a short side-by-side trial before committing.
Step 1: list your top tasks
Write down your ten most important use cases (e.g. drafting client emails, summarising reports, analysing spreadsheets, coding help, research with sources). Test every candidate on the same tasks.
Step 2: compare capabilities
| Capability | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | Is the output accurate, clear and on-tone for your tasks? |
| Long documents | Can it handle the length of your typical files? |
| Files and data | Can it read spreadsheets, PDFs and images you use? |
| Web search | Can it search and cite current sources when needed? |
| Your knowledge | Can it work with your documents (projects, knowledge bases, RAG)? |
| Integrations | Does it connect with your email, office suite, chat and storage? |
| Coding | If relevant, how well does it handle your languages and tools? |
Step 3: check data and security
- Is your data used for model training, and can that be disabled?
- Retention and deletion options.
- Data location and agreements available.
- Single sign-on, user management and audit logs.
- Security certifications relevant to your sector.
Always read the current terms; they change.
Step 4: consider total cost
Licence cost per seat is only part of it. Add training time, administration, and the cost of low adoption. A cheaper tool that nobody uses is the most expensive option.
Step 5: run a two-week trial
Give a small group two candidates and the same ten tasks. Score each task with a simple rubric (correct, useful, time saved). Combine with a short survey: which would you keep using?
Step 6: decide and train
Choose, then invest in training — adoption depends far more on people knowing how to use a tool for their own tasks than on small differences between tools. See our Foundations Line and team training.
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