What AI tools are people secretly using to make office work easy? Professionals share their hacks

As the buzz around ChatGPT continues to dominate discussions on artificial intelligence, professionals are increasingly discovering other AI tools that are quietly transforming how they work—often without fanfare. A recent Reddit thread asked the community to share AI tools that have subtly but significantly improved their productivity.

The responses revealed a growing ecosystem of platforms that are changing the way people approach presentations, research, and automation.

Gamma: Simplifying Presentations

One of the most commonly mentioned tools in the thread was Gamma, an AI-powered presentation builder. A User wrote that they found gamma to be really helpful. It saved a lot of their time that they earlier spent creating the structure for presentations.

Other users echoed this sentiment, noting Gamma’s usefulness in streamlining the often time-consuming process of designing slide decks. Its intuitive design and AI-powered structure creation help users skip past formatting and focus directly on content.

n8n and fal.ai: Powering Workflow Automation

Automation tools like n8n and fal.ai also received praise for quietly improving productivity. A user, who worked as a Manager at a CX firm, shared how these tools support his daily workflow. He explained that he has his own AI agent that reads the slack threads during his absence. Puts everything with a summary in his to-do list. It my 1 hour on daily basis. This shows how AI isn't just for generating content—it can also act as a silent assistant handling mundane tasks.

Napkin.ai and Bardeen.ai: Supporting Everyday Notes and Repetitive Tasks

Several users also praised Napkin.ai, a tool designed to help users quickly capture and organize thoughts. One user listed Gamma, Napkin.ai, and another tool in their comment, to which the original poster responded, "Napkin.ai has been my lifesaver too."

Additionally, Bardeen.ai was mentioned for its automation capabilities. Although not elaborated on in the thread, Bardeen is known for enabling browser-based workflow automation, useful for repetitive web tasks and integrations.

Research and Data Analysis: Perplexity AI

When it comes to research and data analysis, Perplexity AI stood out. A user wrote that it's deep research pro tool can help you do research analysis with all resources. This positions Perplexity as a strong alternative to traditional search engines, especially for professionals who rely on comprehensive, resource-backed data insights.

AI Limitations and Challenges

Not all users were entirely sold on AI. One user expressed skepticism: "I don't particularly find AI useful - we use MS Copilot- at best it's a more sophisticated search engine than Google. In my case I have found that I don't trust the results provided by copilot and end up looking up most of the data myself." They also noted that AI seemed to be more beneficial for people in software development roles.

Another user pointed out that not all companies are open to the use of AI: "Not every company allows to use AI. It's restricted mostly."

While tools like ChatGPT remain at the forefront, this Reddit discussion highlights a growing awareness of lesser-known AI platforms quietly enhancing productivity. Whether it's organizing Slack conversations, generating presentations, or conducting deep research, AI is embedding itself into everyday workflows in subtle yet powerful ways.