87: The AI Tool Stack Every Executive Needs

2026-01-19

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In this solo episode of Using AI at Work, Chris Daigle breaks from the interview format to share the AI tool stack he recommends to executives, leaders, and knowledge workers who want real value without chasing every new release.Chris introduces the concept of “thinking in AI” and explains how leaders move from using AI for isolated tasks to developing an instinctive, organization-wide mindset where AI supports daily work, decisions, and workflows. He also addresses common fears around AI replacing jobs, clarifying the difference bet...

In this solo episode of Using AI at Work, Chris Daigle breaks from the interview format to share the AI tool stack he recommends to executives, leaders, and knowledge workers who want real value without chasing every new release.

Chris introduces the concept of “thinking in AI” and explains how leaders move from using AI for isolated tasks to developing an instinctive, organization-wide mindset where AI supports daily work, decisions, and workflows. He also addresses common fears around AI replacing jobs, clarifying the difference between task-level automation, project-level assistance, and full job replacement.

The episode walks through a curated set of AI tools that Chris believes are best-in-class, easy to use, and likely to stick around, helping leaders save time, reduce confusion, and build real context inside their organizations. This is a practical starting point for anyone looking to use AI at work with confidence and clarity in 2026.

🔎 Learn More About Chris Daigle and Chief AI Officer

Chris Daigle on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdaigle

Chief AI Officer
https://chiefaiofficer.com

🛠 AI Tools and Resources Mentioned

Fathom
https://chiefaiofficer.com/fathom

Perplexity
https://www.perplexity.ai

Comet Browser by Perplexity

NotebookLM
https://notebooklm.google

Gamma
https://chiefaiofficer.com/gamma

Nano Banana image generation inside Google Gemini

ChatGPT
https://openai.com/chatgpt

📌 Chapters

00:00 Why this episode is different
01:14 The problem with AI tool overload
02:10 What “thinking in AI” really means
03:22 From discrete AI use to an AI reflex
04:28 Sharing AI wins to build culture
05:35 AI governance and cultural readiness

06:18 Will AI replace jobs
07:15 Tasks, projects, and job-level work
08:42 What AI can realistically automate today
10:02 Economic impact of AI on knowledge work
11:48 Why meeting transcription builds business context
12:57 Using Fathom as an AI meeting assistant
13:45 Replacing Google with Perplexity
14:58 Agentic browsing with the Comet browser
15:42 NotebookLM as a learning environment
16:36 Creating executive decks with Gamma
17:18 Image generation with Nano Banana
18:02 Why community matters for AI adoption
19:22 Final advice for leaders getting started

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