AI Tools Every Virtual Team Should Be Using (And How)
- Rayla Elkey
- Jul 15
- 4 min read
Let's get one thing straight: AI isn't coming for your job. But the person using AI effectively might be.
In the virtual assistant world, we see a lot of hand-wringing about artificial intelligence. Will robots replace us all? Will clients decide to chat with a bot rather than pay a human? Should we be terrified or thrilled?
At D9TO5, we're taking the "work smarter, not harder" approach. When used strategically, AI tools can elevate your work, save time for higher-value tasks, and help you deliver even more impressive client results.
So let's cut through the noise and get practical. Here are the AI tools worth your time—and exactly how to use them without compromising quality or that special human touch that makes you irreplaceable.
Content Creation Tools That Won't Make You Sound Like a Robot
What they're great for:
Outlining blog posts and email sequences
Generating content ideas when you're staring at a blank page
Creating first drafts of routine communications
Translating complex topics into more accessible language
The smart way to use them: Don't just copy-paste outputs. Instead, use AI as your collaborative partner. For example, ask for "10 creative subject lines for an email about a fall promotion," then use your human judgment to select the best one and customize it to match your client's voice.
Pro tip: Always include specific instructions about tone, audience, and key points. "Write an Instagram caption for a fitness coach announcing a new program, using a motivational but not aggressive tone, mentioning the early-bird discount, and keeping it under 150 characters."
2. Jasper: The Content Scaling Tool
What it's great for:
Creating variations of similar content (think product descriptions)
Helping maintain consistency across large volumes of content
Generating social media content based on longer-form assets
The smart way to use it: Use Jasper's templates as starting points, but always add your client's unique perspective and voice before finalizing. Remember: generic content gets generic results.
Meeting & Admin Tools That Save Time
3. Otter.ai: The Meeting Hero
What it's great for:
Real-time transcription during client calls
Creating searchable archives of meaningful conversations
Capturing action items and decisions without frantic note-taking
The smart way to use it: Don't just send raw transcripts to clients. Instead, use the AI-generated content as your base, clean it up, organize by topic, highlight key decisions, and add insights before sharing.
4. Motion: Calendar Management on Steroids
What it's great for:
Automating the back-and-forth of scheduling
Protecting your client's focus time
Intelligently prioritizing tasks based on deadlines and importance
The smart way to use it: Set clear parameters and review the suggestions before they're implemented. The human touch comes in knowing when to override the algorithm because of context that the AI can't see.
Design & Visual Tools That Won't Make Designers Obsolete
5. Canva's Magic Tools
What they're great for:
Background removal without Photoshop skills
Text-to-image generation for simple concepts
Quickly resizing designs for multiple platforms
The smart way to use them: Use these tools to handle the tedious parts of design work, freeing you up to focus on creative direction and strategy. For example, use Magic Resize to quickly adapt that perfect Instagram post for Pinterest, LinkedIn, and the company blog.
6. Midjourney: The Concept Visualizer
What it's great for:
Creating mood boards and visual concepts
Generating custom graphics for blog posts
Visualizing ideas before commissioning professional design work
The smart way to use it: Think of Midjourney as a starting point, not a finished product. Use it to help clients visualize concepts before investing in professional design, or to create placeholder images that a human designer can later refine.
Customer Service Tools That Keep It Personal
7. Intercom with AI Capabilities
What it's great for:
Handling tier-one customer questions
Routing inquiries to the right team member
Following up on common requests
The smart way to use it: Set up the AI to handle the routine stuff, but train it to recognize when a human needs to step in. The magic is in the handoff—knowing when a personal touch is required and smoothly transitioning from automated to human support.
The D9TO5 Approach: Human-Centered AI
Here's what we've learned from implementing these tools with our team of VAs:
Start with the outcome, not the tool: Ask "what problem am I solving?" before deciding which AI to use.
Layer your work: Let AI handle the first 70%, then add your expertise for the crucial final 30%.
Know what to keep human: Strategy, emotional intelligence, creative direction, and client relationships are areas where humans still vastly outperform AI.
Be transparent: Our clients appreciate knowing how we're using AI to maximize their value—no need to pretend you're manually transcribing every meeting when you're spending that time providing more thoughtful analysis.
Continuously upgrade your prompting skills: The difference between basic and advanced AI users often comes down to how specifically you can instruct the tools.
The Bottom Line: Augment, Don't Replace
The most successful virtual assistants aren't competing with AI but leveraging it. By using these tools strategically, you can:
Handle more work without working more hours
Deliver higher-quality outputs
Focus on the parts of your job that robots can't replicate
Offer more value to your clients without raising your rates
The future belongs to the virtual assistants who view AI as a collaborator rather than a competitor. The question isn't whether to use these tools—it's how thoughtfully you integrate them into your workflow.
Want to learn more about how we're training our team to use AI effectively?
Contact us for a chat about the D9TO5 approach to human-centered AI implementation.
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