No AI budget? Start here.
No subscription needed for your first pilot: choose one recurring task, test a suitable free AI tool for two weeks, and build evidence before asking for budget.
Are you leading AI adoption? You probably already have an AI tool, while your colleagues do not and your manager is not yet ready to pay for everyone.
Let your colleagues start with a free AI tool, but do not send them into the entire candy store. Choose one recurring task, one matching tool, and a short test that can make the value visible.
Build evidence first
A free version is not a final solution for the entire organization. It is a practical, low-risk way to find out whether a tool helps with a real work task.
- Choose a task that returns every week.
- Use only non-confidential, fictional, or publicly available information.
- Ask for a paid version only when you can show time savings or a quality improvement.
Choose one tool per task
For general work, my current choice would be ChatGPT. The free version is suitable for testing an initial workflow, but it has usage limits.
For a specialist task, use this list:
1. Create presentations → Gamma. The free plan includes AI creations, but its free AI credits do not automatically refresh.
2. Dictate → Wispr Flow. The free plan has a weekly word limit.
3. Work in Excel → Shortcut AI. The free plan works in Excel and Google Sheets and includes a limited number of weekly credits.
4. Create AI video → Seedance through Dreamina. Free access, models, and credits may vary by region and campaign.
5. Create video with Google → Google Vids. It is not free for everyone: use it only when Vids is already available through your Google account, Workspace environment, or a regional trial.
6. Check language → Grammarly. The free plan checks spelling and grammar and shows the tone of the text.
7. Learn from your own sources → NotebookLM. The free Standard version has limits for notebooks, sources, and daily questions, among other features.
8. Program → Cursor. The free Hobby plan includes a limited number of Agent requests.
9. Turn text into speech → ElevenLabs. The free plan includes limited monthly credits; commercial use requires a paid plan.
10. Create meeting notes → Granola. The free Basic plan creates AI notes, but only a limited note history remains available in the app.
11. Design → Canva. The free plan includes many templates and design assets, with a limited monthly AI allowance.
Test for two weeks
- Choose one recurring task.
- Choose one matching tool.
- Test for two weeks with non-confidential information.
For every test, record how long the task normally takes, how much time you needed now, what improved in quality, and which errors or extra checks were required. Save two or three concrete examples that you can show later.
Then ask three questions
- Do you use the tool every week?
- Does it save time or improve quality?
- Does its use comply with your AI and privacy policies?
Make an evidence-based budget request
Do not approach your manager with enthusiasm alone. Show which task you tested, how often it occurs, what the tool added in time or quality, which checks remain necessary, and why the paid version is the logical next step.
- Show the pilot outcome with two or three examples.
- Calculate the expected monthly time savings from recurring use.
- Specify the desired license, cost, privacy terms, and management arrangements.
- Agree how you will assess after one month whether the paid version delivers enough value.