5 free AI tools you’ll want to try the second you see them

You’re really gonna love this.
I’ve been diving into the latest AI tools, and some of them are so jaw-dropping I couldn’t wait to get them in your hands. They don’t feel like tech. They feel like creative black magic.
Shutter showdown: Stock vs. AI photos

I love making AI-generated pics. I’ve spent hours tinkering with prompts to see what I can dream up. But here’s the big question I get from business owners: Do AI images or good old-fashioned stock photos work better in marketing? Let’s put them head-to-head.
📈 Stocks meet small talk: Google Finance is getting an AI brain transplant. Starting in the coming weeks, you can ask it detailed market questions, get fancy charts, track commodities and crypto and see live news in one place. “AI, why is my portfolio crying?” — now answerable. Maybe even in a Shakespearean tragedy voice.
$645 million
That’s the price tag on Bill Gates’ hydrogen-powered superyacht. Well, allegedly his. The 390-foot climate-conscious leviathan is up for sale, even though Gates reportedly never set foot on it. Complete with a movie theater, gym, library and 14 balconies, because one just won’t do when you’re pondering your legacy in a hydrogen bubble bath.
TSA’s new travel warning: Don’t fall for ‘Free Airport Wi-Fi’

You know the drill: You hit the airport, find a seat near your gate, and your first thought is, Where’s the free Wi-Fi? You see a network called “Free Airport Wi-Fi” or “Airport_Guest” and think, Perfect.
The TSA says: Stop right there. Their latest warning is the digital equivalent of “Don’t take candy from strangers.” Public Wi-Fi, especially in airports, is a hacker’s playground.
51%
That’s how far Cybertruck sales dropped in just one year. Turns out America’s notorious polygon-on-wheels isn’t flying off the lots. Even Elon’s hype can’t outrun bad build reviews and a price tag that ages like milk. Slap a minigun on its back, and it’s Halo irl.
Bamboozling Gemini: At Black Hat (cybersecurity event), researchers showed how Google’s AI Gemini can be hijacked with a single calendar invite. One hidden prompt, and boom, Gemini starts spewing lies, deleting meetings or opening your windows via Google Home. It’s like a robbery, but your AI assistant is opening the front door.
🤐 AI learns to shut up: OpenAI’s newest model finally admits what the last ones wouldn’t: Sometimes, it just doesn’t know. No more flattery, fewer fake facts and a 45% drop in hallucinations. It’s also 80% better at admitting it’s clueless, which is more than I can say for half my group chats.
GPT-5 eats its siblings: OpenAI says GPT-5 is so good they’re deprecating every older model. That means GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1 and GPT‑4.5 will be gobbled up. ChatGPT defaults to GPT‑5 via a unified “auto‑switching system” sometimes. Comes with “personalities,” can solve real-world problems, and yes, it’s free.
Fake pics, real charges: A student was hit with a $9K damage bill after her NYC Airbnb host claimed she cracked furniture and peed the bed. But the “proof”? AI-edited photos. Airbnb initially sided with the host, then backpedaled fast after a newspaper got involved. Full refund issued, host slapped with a warning. PSA: Take inside and outside videos of any rental property.