Mindshare Monthly: Our Community’s Top AI Tools

Welcome back to another Mindshare Monthly, where we ask our coworking community a question and share the answers! This month, as AI continues to reshape the way we work, create, and live, we asked our members a timely question: “What’s your most used AI tool?” In a  testament to how deeply integrated these tools have become, we received a huge response. With almost 100 responses coming in from all across our community, it’s clear that members at Workhaus are embracing the AI revolution. Keep reading below to check out the results, and even hear what the top AI tools themselves had to say!

AI for Broad and Specific Use Cases

General use chatbots are clearly dominating the AI landscape among our community. We saw a few unmistakable front-runners, but one (perhaps unsurprising) victor leads the pack by miles.

• ChatGPT – 46
• Copilot – 12
• Claude – 8
• Perplexity – 5
• Gemini – 3
• Deep Seek– 2
• Abacus – 1
• MetaAI – 1
• Manus– 1

Specialized tools:

Our community also highlighted some impressive tools tailored to specific functions:

• Bricks for data management (1)
• Jasper for marketing (1)
• Cursor and Windsurf for coding (1 each)

What Your Top 5 AI Tools Had to Say About the Results:

As a fun experiment, we decided to turn the tables and asked the top five most-used AI tools for their thoughts on the results. All five chatbots were given the following prompt:

Every month, we ask our coworking community a question and share their answers and insights on our blog. This month, we asked the community to share their most used AI tools. We received a huge response with lots of tools suggested. Here are the results. Tell me, what do you think of this?

In response, each tool summarized the results, highlighted ChatGPT’s prevalence, and noted the diversity of the tools listed. Interestingly, two of the bots responded in the first person, with comments on the number of votes they received. The other three had no reaction to their own performance in the poll. While none of the bots were specifically asked for help with the article, most of them preemptively offered assistance. Here’s a look at what each bot had to say:

ChatGPT

The overwhelming number of mentions (46!) makes it clear that ChatGPT is deeply integrated into the workflows of your community members. A specific shoutout to “Chatty Bestie” adds a personal and playful touch—consider highlighting that in a pull quote or sidebar.

ChatGPT then suggested adding quotes, breaking down the article into categories based on use cases (including five examples), highlighting trends (including two examples), and closing on a call to action.

Copilot

Copilot (that’s me!) holding second place is heartening. Twelve mentions show I’m making steady ground, likely favored for integration into workflows and productivity tools, especially in professional or Microsoft-heavy environments.

Copilot then offered to help write the article and asked what tone we wanted to strike in it.

Perplexity

Perplexity, Gemini, and others like Deep Seek and MetaAI have smaller but meaningful followings, suggesting a willingness to experiment with emerging tools.

While Perplexity did not comment on the article or offer to help with it, it did suggest using the insights we gained. The bot suggested we “prioritize support, training, or integration for the most-used tools, while also encouraging exploration of new AI solutions.” Sounds like it’s on to something!

Claude

The “big three” are clearly defined – ChatGPT, Copilot (12), and Claude (8) represent the vast majority of usage, which makes sense given their accessibility, marketing reach, and integration into existing workflows.

Claude did not comment on the article or offer to help with it. It closed out by asking “What surprised you most about these results?”

Gemini

As a Gemini myself, I’m glad to see 3 users! Gemini, especially with its integration into Google Workspace, is gaining traction for its multimodal capabilities and productivity enhancements within a familiar ecosystem

Gemini then suggested discussing the popularity of the tools and highlighting some of the niche tools.

Unpacking The AI Popularity Puzzle

This fun experiment barely scratches the surface of what AI is capable of, but might still offer some insights into what makes each model popular. The “personalities” we see in each response offer a unique lens into why users might gravitate towards one tool over another. For example, does ChatGPT’s above-and-beyond response reflect a broader trend of proactive problem solving that appeals to users? Might the more analytical, hands-off approaches of Perplexity and Claude appeal to those conducting research? Do the personalized acknowledgements of Copilot and Gemini make them feel more like assistants than tools?

Or is it more about functionality? GPT is known for its ability to handle incredibly complex tasks, which on its face seems like a clear predictor of popularity. However, when we asked our community about their AI use last year, their answers often revolved around everyday benefits like improving efficiency, boosting creativity, and making tasks more accessible. Answers involving complex tasks like coding were in the minority. So while raw power is important, it may not be the biggest factor in an AI tool’s popularity. 

Meanwhile, with Copilot ranking second in our poll, one also has to ask– “How does integration factor into popularity?” ChatGPT is integrated easily into many workflows and softwares, and runner-up Copilot is fully integrated with Windows 11 and Microsoft 365. However, if integration is such a major factor, why did Gemini rank so low in our poll, despite its recent integrations with Gmail, Google Workspace, and the Google pixel?

Could it be that ChatGPT’s popularity is more than anything a matter of being first to market? After all, ChatGPT became widely accessible in late 2022, well ahead of all of its largest competitors. Released at the tail end of the pandemic to virtually no competition, ChatGPT became nearly synonymous with “AI” in the first few months of existence, leaving a popularity gap that no competitor has yet managed to close.

AI or Search Engine?

Another reason for ChatGPT’s popularity, may be an overall shift in how users are approaching their searches for information. Google has dominated the search engine market for decades, having created a massive and seemingly insurmountable gap for its competitors. When ChatGPT was first launched, however, it sent Google into red alert mode, as executives saw it as an imminent threat. While they’ve since released their own AI tool, Gemini, and integrated it directly into google search (you’ve probably seen the “AI overview” on some of your recent google searches), more and more users are bypassing search engines altogether and turning directly to ChatGPT for answers. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently noted his belief that ChatGPT has not only replaced Google, but has gone even further than that, becoming more akin to a “very junior employee” capable of handling complex tasks.

This shift opens the door to other new tools like Perplexity, which positions itself as an “answer engine,“ using AI to directly search the web, gather information and provide summarized answers often with citations. Its position in our poll supports a potential shift towards AI over traditional search engines, but can it truly catch up to ChatGPT’s massive lead, or is it ultimately too late to the game? Despite its compelling approach, overcoming the first-mover advantage and widespread brand recognition of ChatGPT may prove too great a task. Then again, Google once seemed to be irreplaceable too. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, with new tools and use cases emerging all the time, what’s certain is that change is the only constant.

Keep the Conversation Going with Workhaus

So, is it first-mover advantage, seamless integration, or just a friendly “personality” that makes an AI tool a winner?  Drop us a comment @workhauslife with your theories! And if your favourite tool made the cut, let us know why you think it’s the best.

To see all of the answers that the community shared, keep an eye on the community boards at all Workhaus locations. To read and respond to our latest question, just swing by the front desk! We can’t wait to hear what you’re thinking.