Research Notes for choosing AI tools.
Short, useful frameworks for deciding whether an AI product deserves your time, data, permissions, or budget. These are not news posts; each note is designed to help you make a better buying decision.
AI Tool Landing Page Specificity Checklist
A 30-second test for spotting vague AI product promises before you waste time on a trial.
Specificity 02AI Tool Trust Receipts
The evidence an AI tool should show before you give it files, code, customers, or budget.
Trust 03AI Agent Permission Checklist
A permission-first framework for tools that can read, write, deploy, message, or spend.
Agents 04AI Coding Tool Budget Checklist
Estimate the real cost of AI coding tools beyond the monthly subscription price.
Budget 05Local vs Cloud AI Tools
A task-level decision framework for local models, hosted APIs, and hybrid workflows.
Local vs CloudWhy these notes exist
AI tools are now easy to launch and hard to evaluate. A polished demo can hide unclear pricing, broad permissions, weak data controls, and review-heavy outputs. AI Picker keeps this section small so every page can stay maintained and useful.