Bonus Feature: 30-Day AI Challenge - Level Up Your Skills by Cara Harpole

This is a featured guest article by writer, technology thought leader and AI expert Cara Harpole. She has put together a bootcamp to get beginners and tech professionals equipped with the AI tools they need to optimize. Check out this article to take part and learn more about Cara’s mission!

You can also see the article on Cara’s blog as it is updated here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/30-day-ai-challenge-level-up-your-skills-cara-harpole-qt47c/?trackingId=zb8WDxadS0mJLzol1IiJOw%3D%3D

---

Cara Harpole

I first realized the power of AI during AfroTech Week, when a tech professional and I engaged in a long conversation about technology. He asked if I had used AI and whether I was familiar with it. He insisted that a tool like ChatGPT would be a game changer.

He explained that AI could change how we work and how we create. I downloaded it with curiosity but didn’t fully understand how much it would transform my workflow. It was truly a game changer, just as he predicted.

Are You Already Behind?

Can we agree that those who only use AI tools to write articles, post on blogs, or write emails are already behind?

I am aware of the hesitation some might have with this new technology. It’s growing rapidly, and the choices are massive. But I believe that participating in a community challenge gives us an incentive to learn and adds a layer of accountability.

No matter where we are in the learning process, we can all benefit from challenging ourselves to explore new technology.

Over time, I began to see AI’s full potential:

• ChatGPT became my go-to for ideation, research, and problem-solving.

• MidJourney and DALL·E allowed me to visualize concepts in minutes that once took hours.

• Firefly, Perplexity, and other tools opened new possibilities in planning, content creation, and design.

Today, these tools are essential to my workflow. They allow me to explore ideas faster, work smarter, and stay ahead of constant changes in the digital world.

AI evolves constantly. If we only use what we already know, we risk falling behind. The 30-Day AI Challenge is about pushing beyond your comfort zone, trying new tools, and finding which ones actually support your workflow or creativity.

Why Join This Challenge?

• Expand your toolkit – AI now spans writing, visuals, video, coding, planning, and even accounting.

• Find your go-to tools – Identify which apps actually improve your workflow.

• Stay ahead of the curve – Early adopters adapt before change becomes mandatory.

Why Join This Challenge?

• Expand your toolkit – AI now spans writing, visuals, video, coding, planning, and even accounting.

• Find your go-to tools – Identify which apps actually improve your workflow.

• Stay ahead of the curve – Early adopters adapt before change becomes mandatory.

---

How the Challenge Works

• Choose 3–4 categories to focus on.

• Experiment with at least 9 new tools over 30 days.

• Use only free or trial tools to avoid subscription bottlenecks.

• Track your progress and share your discoveries to improve the community list.

• Participate the way that feels comfortable to you.

To join:

You can write in the comment section "I'm In" or Fill out the Contact Form and write “I’m In” to get updates. You can start anytime—or join in sync with others for shared accountability.

Update 8/7/25

I created a Basic Google Spread Sheet where you can track your progress and write notes. Feel free to download and edit your own version.

---

AI Tools by Category

8/7/25 updated the list. Original list had: ~28 AI tools Current list has: 160 AI toolsTotal new tools added: 132 tools and 9 new categories. Not all tool links have been tested.

Conversational AI (8 tools)

1. ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.com/

2. Claude AI – https://claude.ai/

3. Gemini (Bard) – https://bard.google.com/

4. Microsoft Copilot – https://copilot.microsoft.com/

5. Character.AI – https://character.ai/

6. Poe – https://poe.com/

7. Pi – https://heypi.com/

8. Replika – https://replika.com/

Image Generation (15 tools)

1. Midjourney – https://midjourney.com/

2. DALL-E 3 – https://openai.com/dall-e

3. DALL-E – https://openai.com/dall-e

4. Stable Diffusion – https://stability.ai/

5. Leonardo AI – https://leonardo.ai/

6. Adobe Firefly – https://firefly.adobe.com/

7. Bing Image Creator – https://bing.com/images/create

8. Craiyon – https://craiyon.com/

9. Ideogram – https://ideogram.ai/

10. Playground AI – https://playgroundai.com/

11. NightCafe – https://creator.nightcafe.studio/

12. Artbreeder – https://www.artbreeder.com/

13. Dream Studio – https://dreamstudio.ai/

14. BlueWillow – https://www.bluewillow.ai/

15. Fotor AI – https://www.fotor.com/features/ai-image-generator/

Code Assistant (10 tools)

1. GitHub Copilot – https://github.com/features/copilot

2. Cursor – https://www.cursor.so/

3. Replit AI (Ghostwriter) – https://replit.com/

4. Codeium – https://codeium.com/

5. Tabnine – https://www.tabnine.com/

6. Amazon CodeWhisperer – https://aws.amazon.com/codewhisperer/

7. Sourcegraph Cody – https://sourcegraph.com/cody

8. CodeT5 – https://huggingface.co/models?search=CodeT5

9. DeepCode – https://www.deepcode.ai/

10. Kite – https://www.kite.com/Video Generation (11 tools)

Video Generation (11 tools)

1. Runway ML – https://runwayml.com/

2. Synthesia – https://www.synthesia.io/

3. Pika Labs – https://pika.art/

4. Kaiber AI – https://kaiber.ai/

5. Pixverse / LeiaPix – https://convert.leiapix.com/

6. Genmo AI – https://genmo.ai/

7. Pictory – https://pictory.ai/

8. D-ID – https://www.d-id.com/

9. Stable Video Diffusion – https://stability.ai/news/stable-video-diffusion

10. Fliki – https://fliki.ai/

11. InVideo AI – https://invideo.io/ai-video-generator/

Voice Generation (10 tools)

1. ElevenLabs – https://www.elevenlabs.io/

2. Murf – https://murf.ai/

3. Speechify – https://speechify.com/

4. Vall-E – https://valle-demo.github.io/

5. Replica Studios – https://replicastudios.com/

6. Resemble AI – https://www.resemble.ai/

7. WellSaid Labs – https://www.wellsaidlabs.com/

8. Lovo – https://www.lovo.ai/

9. Descript Overdub – https://www.descript.com/overdub

10. Voice.ai – https://voice.ai/

Design Tools (10 tools)

1. Canva AI – https://www.canva.com/ai/

2. Figma AI – https://www.figma.com/blog/introducing-ai-in-figma/

3. Framer AI – https://www.framer.com/ai/

4. Uizard – https://uizard.io/

5. Logomaker – https://www.logomaker.com/

6. Khroma – https://www.khroma.co/

7. Removal.AI – https://removal.ai/

8. Upscaler – https://icons8.com/upscaler

9. Cleanup.pictures – https://cleanup.pictures/

Writing Assistant (10 tools)

1. Grammarly – https://www.grammarly.com/

2. Jasper – https://www.jasper.ai/

3. Copy.ai – https://www.copy.ai/

4. Writesonic – https://writesonic.com/

5. Rytr – https://rytr.me/

6. QuillBot – https://quillbot.com/

7. Wordtune – https://www.wordtune.com/

8. Writer – https://writer.com/

9. Article Forge – https://www.articleforge.com/

10. Peppertype – https://www.peppertype.ai/

Research Tools (10 tools)

1. Perplexity AI – https://www.perplexity.ai/

2. You.com – https://you.com/

3. Phind – https://www.phind.com/

4. Elicit – https://elicit.org/

5. Semantic Scholar – https://www.semanticscholar.org/

6. Consensus – https://consensus.app/

7. Scite – https://scite.ai/

8. ResearchRabbit – https://www.researchrabbit.ai/

9. Scholarcy – https://www.scholarcy.com/

10. SummarizeBot – https://www.summarizebot.com/

Productivity (12 tools)

1. Notion AI – https://www.notion.so/product/ai

2. Zapier – https://zapier.com/

3. Trello + Butler – https://trello.com/

4. Camunda Copilot – https://camunda.com/

5. ClickUp AI – https://clickup.com/ai

6. Monday.com AI – https://monday.com/blog/ai/

7. Superhuman – https://superhuman.com/

8. Motion – https://usemotion.com/

9. Todoist AI – https://todoist.com/ai

10. Reclaim AI – https://reclaim.ai/

11. TimeTree – https://timetreeapp.com/

12. Brain.fm - https://www.brain.fm/

Audio/Video Editing (10 tools)

1. Descript – https://www.descript.com/

2. Adobe Podcast – https://podcast.adobe.com/

3. Krisp – https://krisp.ai/

4. Cleanvoice – https://cleanvoice.ai/

5. Podcastle – https://podcastle.ai/

6. Riverside – https://riverside.fm/

7. Audioshake – https://www.audioshake.ai/

8. Lalal.ai – https://www.lalal.ai/

9. Soundraw – https://soundraw.io/

10. Beatoven – https://www.beatoven.ai/

Transcription (10 tools)

1. Otter.ai – https://otter.ai/

2. Rev AI – https://www.rev.com/ai

3. Sonix – https://sonix.ai/

4. Trint – https://trint.com/

5. Happy Scribe – https://www.happyscribe.com/

6. GoTranscript – https://gotranscript.com/

7. Verbit – https://verbit.ai/

8. AssemblyAI – https://www.assemblyai.com/

9. Speechmatics – https://www.speechmatics.com/

10. TranscribeMe – https://www.transcribeme.com/

Presentations (10 tools)

1. Gamma – https://gamma.app/

2. Tome – https://tome.app/

3. Beautiful.AI – https://www.beautiful.ai/

4. Slides AI – https://www.slidesai.io/

5. Decktopus – https://www.decktopus.com/

6. Simplified – https://simplified.com/

7. Plus AI – https://www.plusdocs.com/ai

8. MagicSlides – https://www.magicslides.app/

9. SlidesAI – https://www.slidesai.io/

10. Presentations.AI – https://presentations.ai/

3D & AR (10 tools)

1. Luma AI – https://lumalabs.ai/

2. Spline AI – https://spline.design/

3. NeRF Studio – https://docs.nerfstudio.org/

4. Polycam – https://poly.cam/

5. Meshroom – https://alicevision.org/#meshroom

6. Kaedim – https://www.kaedim3d.com/

7. 3DFY – https://3dfy.ai/

8. Blender AI – https://www.blender.org/

9. CSM AI – https://www.csmai.io/

10. Alpha3D – https://alpha3d.io/

Marketing & SEO (10 tools)

1. SurferSEO – https://surferseo.com/

2. MarketMuse – https://www.marketmuse.com/

3. Frase – https://www.frase.io/

4. Clearscope – https://www.clearscope.io/

5. BrightEdge – https://www.brightedge.com/

6. ContentKing – https://www.contentkingapp.com/

7. Optimizely – https://www.optimizely.com/

8. Persado – https://www.persado.com/

9. Phrasee – https://phrasee.co/

10. Albert AI – https://albert.ai/

Financial & Accounting (5 tools)

1. Mint – https://mint.intuit.com/

2. Bookeeping.ai – https://bookeeping.ai/

3. GnuCash – https://www.gnucash.org/

4. Cleo – https://web.meetcleo.com/

5. Finagraph – https://finagraph.com/

Data Analysis (10 tools)

1. DataRobot – https://www.datarobot.com/

2. H2O.ai – https://www.h2o.ai/

3. MonkeyLearn – https://monkeylearn.com/

4. Tableau AI – https://www.tableau.com/solutions/artificial-intelligence

5. PowerBI AI – https://powerbi.microsoft.com/

6. Akkio – https://www.akkio.com/

7. Obviously AI – https://www.obviously.ai/

8. DataChat – https://datachat.ai/

9. Seek AI – https://seek.ai/

10. ThoughtSpot – https://www.thoughtspot.com/

Claude's 30-Day AI Challenge Tracking your journey to AI expertise - Day by day, tool by tool. You can design your own experience. Here is Carl's version. Create your own.

https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/874258c2-b22e-41c8-b4f5-8d9d164bf1f4

---

Final Thoughts

This challenge isn’t about doing everything—it’s about doing something new.

Trying a few tools, testing ideas, and building momentum can go a long way. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your skills, each step you take can shift how you work and create.

As you go, we’d love to hear about your experience. What’s working? What’s been frustrating? Share your progress, your pain points, and your success stories with the group—because your insights might be exactly what someone else needs to move forward.

We all grow faster when we grow together.

Let’s see what’s possible when we step beyond the familiar.

---

About the Author

Cara Harpole is a web design consultant and digital strategist who creates accessible, purpose-driven websites for businesses and communities. She is the creator of Me and the Machine, a project focused on emerging technology and creativity. Cara runs Askadinya Launch, web consulting / design business, and also leads A2Symmetry.com, an advocacy platform dedicated to inclusive design, ADA compliance, and better digital practices across industries.