In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, tools are emerging to solve two very different problems: how to work faster and how to protect what we’ve already created. On one hand, we have Bricks, an AI-powered spreadsheet designed to revolutionize data analysis. On the other, we have Have I Been Trained?, a platform dedicated to giving artists control over their digital footprint in the age of generative AI.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Bricks | Have I Been Trained? |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Data visualization and reporting via AI. | Checking and opting out of AI training sets. |
| Core Audience | Analysts, Marketers, Business Owners. | Artists, Photographers, Creators. |
| Key Function | Natural language to dashboard creation. | Search and "Do Not Train" registry. |
| Pricing | Free tier; Premium from $20/mo. | Free for individuals; Enterprise API available. |
| Best For | Turning raw data into professional reports. | Protecting intellectual property from AI. |
Tool Overview
Bricks: The AI Spreadsheet Revolution
Bricks is an AI-first spreadsheet tool designed to eliminate the manual labor of data manipulation. Unlike traditional software like Excel or Google Sheets, Bricks allows users to describe what they want to see in plain English. Whether you need a sales dashboard, a project timeline, or a complex financial report, the AI interprets your data and builds the visuals for you in seconds. It bridges the gap between raw data and executive-ready presentations, making it an essential tool for teams that need to communicate insights without spending hours on formatting.
Have I Been Trained?: Digital Rights for Creators
Have I Been Trained? (HIBT) is a specialized tool created by Spawning.ai to address the ethical concerns of generative AI. It allows users to search the massive LAION-5B dataset—one of the primary sources used to train popular AI models like Stable Diffusion—to see if their images have been included without consent. Beyond simple discovery, HIBT offers a "Do Not Train" registry, providing a centralized way for creators to opt out of future training sets, effectively giving them a voice in how their intellectual property is utilized by tech companies.
Detailed Feature Comparison
Bricks focuses entirely on productivity and output. Its standout feature is the AI Assistant, which functions as a co-pilot for data. You can upload a CSV or Excel file and simply ask, "Create a bar chart of our monthly growth," and Bricks will generate the visual instantly. It also includes "Blocks," which are pre-built modules for specific tasks like sentiment analysis or CRM integration. This makes it more than just a spreadsheet; it is a collaborative workspace where data, documents, and visuals live together in a Notion-like interface.
In contrast, Have I Been Trained? is a privacy and ethics tool. Its primary feature is its robust search engine, which can scan billions of images using text or image-to-image matching. This allows artists to find where their work is being hosted and used in AI development. The platform’s most impactful feature is the "Do Not Train" registry. By flagging their work or entire domains on HIBT, creators can signal to AI developers that their content is off-limits for training, a standard that is increasingly being recognized by major AI companies like Stability AI.
While Bricks is built to help you create with AI, HIBT is built to help you manage your relationship with AI. Bricks excels at taking messy data and making it beautiful, offering features like public share links and PDF/PPTX exports. HIBT, meanwhile, excels at transparency, providing artists with the data they need to protect their livelihoods. One tool looks forward toward efficiency, while the other looks back at the data foundations of AI to ensure they are built fairly.
Pricing Comparison
- Bricks: Offers a Free plan that includes 20 AI messages per month for teams of up to 3 people. The Premium plan ($20/month per seat) increases the limit to 500 AI messages and allows for larger teams. For heavy users, the Pro plan ($100/month per seat) offers unlimited AI usage and priority support.
- Have I Been Trained?: The core search and opt-out registry are Free for individual artists and rights holders. For large-scale organizations, platforms, or developers who need to integrate these protections into their own systems, Spawning.ai offers commercial API access with custom pricing.
Use Case Recommendations
Use Bricks if...
- You are a business professional who needs to turn spreadsheets into dashboards quickly.
- You want to automate reporting without learning complex Excel formulas or SQL.
- You need a collaborative space to manage projects and data visuals in one place.
Use Have I Been Trained? if...
- You are an artist or photographer concerned about your work being used in AI models.
- You want to check if your personal images or brand assets are in the LAION dataset.
- You want to officially opt out of future AI training data collections.
Verdict
Because these tools serve entirely different purposes, the "winner" depends on your role in the AI ecosystem. Bricks is the clear choice for anyone looking to maximize their productivity; it is truly the "AI spreadsheet we've been waiting for" because it makes data analysis accessible to everyone. However, if you are a creator concerned about the ethical use of your work, Have I Been Trained? is an indispensable resource.
For most ToolPulp readers, Bricks will be the tool you use daily to get work done, while Have I Been Trained? is the tool you use once to secure your digital rights. Both represent the dual nature of AI: a powerful engine for creation and a complex challenge for copyright.