My 5 Favorite AI Tools in 2026

Synopsis

Chris and Nik discuss findings from 30+ conversations with entrepreneurs about which AI tools they actually use, with Nik building a Google Colab/OpenAI workflow to analyze the data. They compare ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, Gemini, Cursor vs Replit, argue sales is the #1 AI application right now, and cover Chris's billboard ad experiment and AI for relationship advice and business mediation.

Ideas in this episode

• Smart / connected vending machines

  Chris and Nik compare AI tools and sales use cases, offering only a tangential automation angle for vending or location sales.

• Creative / brand agency
• AI productivity tool