AI assistant
AI software that helps people with their work
What is AI assistant?
An AI assistant is software built on artificial intelligence, most often a large language model (LLM), that helps with work in response to instructions written in plain language: it writes and edits text, summarises documents and meetings, answers questions, translates, analyses data or suggests code. Unlike a search engine, it does not return a list of links but a finished output that can be refined further in the conversation. The best known include ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Businesses either use these general-purpose assistants or their own AI assistant connected to internal documents and systems.
Why It Matters
An AI assistant cuts down routine work that takes hours every week: first drafts of emails and quotes, summaries of long documents, meeting notes, research or spreadsheet edits. The benefit depends on how the team uses it, though. Without rules, two things can go wrong: sensitive company or client data ends up in the tools, and false information ends up in documents, because an AI assistant can sound convincing even when it is wrong. Companies that introduce it with clear rules, short training and output checks get the most out of it.
Real-World Examples
- 1A salesperson turns meeting notes into a summary and a draft follow-up email, then edits and sends it.
- 2An accountant asks for a summary of a new regulation and the points relevant to her clients, then checks them against the original text.
- 3A marketer asks for five headline variants for an ad and polishes the best one.
- 4An online shop owner uploads an order export and asks which products customers most often buy together.
- 5A company AI assistant answers employees' questions from internal policies and price lists and cites the source for every answer.
What an AI assistant can and cannot do
An AI assistant is strong at working with text and information:
- writing and rewriting text (emails, quotes, posts, product descriptions),
- summarising long documents, contracts or meeting transcripts,
- translating and changing the tone of a text,
- analysing spreadsheets and data, suggesting formulas and charts,
- research and preparing material, with source links in some tools.
It also has limits you need to plan for:
- It can be wrong. A language model sometimes produces a convincing but false answer (a so-called hallucination). Facts, figures and quotes must be checked.
- It does not know your business until you give it material. A general assistant knows nothing about your customers, prices or processes.
- It takes no responsibility. Whoever sends a text to a client is responsible for it.
AI assistant vs chatbot vs AI agent
An AI assistant helps a specific person with their work and returns the result for review. A chatbot is a conversational interface, typically for a company's customers on its website and limited to its topics. An AI agent completes multi-step tasks on its own and uses other tools by itself, for example looking up data, filling in a form and sending an email. What AI agents can do in a business is covered in our article on AI agents.
The best-known AI assistants
- ChatGPT by OpenAI, released on 30 November 2022. See our ChatGPT guide.
- Claude by Anthropic, strong at working with long documents and text. See Claude AI.
- Gemini by Google, connected to Google Workspace. See Google Gemini.
- Microsoft Copilot, built into Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Perplexity, an assistant focused on search with source links. See Perplexity AI.
How the tools differ in practice and in price is compared in ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini.
A company AI assistant on your own data
A general AI assistant answers from its general knowledge. A company AI assistant is connected to internal documents, a knowledge base, the CRM or the online shop, so it answers from that company's data and can cite the source. Typical uses are support for sales teams, customer service or new employees.
The connection runs through the language model's API and connectors to company systems. Access rights matter: the assistant may only show an employee what they can already access in the original system.
Check the data processing terms. OpenAI, for example, states that by default it does not use data from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and Edu or from its API to train its models. Terms for personal and free versions differ by tool and settings, so always check them before using a tool for work.
How to start using an AI assistant at work
- Pick two or three recurring tasks that take the most time, such as replying to enquiries or writing meeting notes.
- Choose a tool with a business plan and review its data processing terms.
- Write down rules: what data may go into the assistant, what must always be checked and who is responsible for the output.
- Teach the team to write good instructions. Output quality depends on the prompt; see how to write prompts.
- Review after a month how much time the assistant saved and where it made mistakes, and adjust the rules.
AI assistants and the AI Act
If an AI assistant talks directly to your customers, the transparency obligation of Article 50 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) applies from 2 August 2026: people must know they are dealing with AI unless this is obvious from the circumstances. When client personal data is involved, GDPR rules apply as well. This overview is not legal advice.
When to bring in an expert
A team can roll out a general AI assistant on its own. An expert pays off when the assistant is to work with your data, connect to several systems or answer customers. We build company AI assistants on internal data and connect them to CRM, online shops and other tools as part of our AI solutions for businesses. For an overview of tools by purpose, see AI tools for business.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI assistant?
An AI assistant is AI software that helps with work in response to plain-language instructions: it writes text, summarises documents, answers questions, translates or analyses data. The best known are ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Its output always needs to be checked.
What is the difference between an AI assistant and a chatbot?
An AI assistant helps a specific person with their work, such as writing or analysis, and returns the result for review. A chatbot is a conversational interface, usually on a company website, that answers customers' questions about its services. Both can run on the same language model.
Is an AI assistant free?
Most well-known AI assistants have a free version with a limited number of requests or a less capable model. Paid plans offer higher limits, stronger models and, in business versions, user management and stricter data processing terms. For work with company data, a business plan is worth it.
Is data entered into an AI assistant safe?
It depends on the tool and the plan. OpenAI, for example, states that by default it does not use data from business ChatGPT plans or its API to train models. Terms for personal and free versions differ, so always check them and do not put sensitive client data into tools without business terms.
Will an AI assistant replace employees?
An AI assistant speeds up routine parts of the work, such as a first draft, a summary or research, but it does not replace knowledge of customers, decision-making or responsibility for the result. In practice it works best as a helper whose output a person reviews and finishes.