10 GREAT AITOOLS FOR 2026

FROM EDITING VIDEOS LIKE WORD DOCUMENTS TO CREATING YOUR OWN BROWSER GAMES, BARRY COLLINS HIGHLIGHTS TEN BRILLIANT AI TOOLS YOU'LL WANT TO EXPLOIT IN THE YEAR AHEAD

- BARRY COLLINS

When people think of AI they largely think of text-based chatbots such as ChatGPT.

But chatbots are only scratching the surface of what's possible with the tsunami of AI tools that are flooding onto the market, trying to capitalise on the AI boom we're living through.

In this article, we highlight a range of AI tools (yes, including ChatGPT) that are already delivering amazing capabilities for both professionals and consumers. Some of these are built into well-known pieces of software such as Photoshop, others are standalone apps. All of them are examples that AI is capable of much more than summarising a Word document or turning your selfie into a Pixar character.

From isolating the different parts of audio tracks, to creating virtual photo shoots, to triaging the hundreds of messages that arrive in an IT support desk, AI has an incredible breadth of abilities. These are some that you might want to use in the year ahead.

1 EDIT A VIDEO PODCAST LIKE A WORD DOCUMENT

Editing a video podcast with multiple guests used to be a nightmare best reserved for professionals. Now tools such as Riverside (riverside.fm) have made it no more difficult than editing a Word document.

If the name Riverside sounds familiar, it may be because it's the software we use to record the PC Pro podcast. It's a virtual studio that allows multiple guests to join for either audio or video recordings. Everyone's footage is stored locally on their computer and then uploaded at the end, allowing the producer/ editor to work on the final show without worrying that WiFi wibbles have affected audio/video quality.