Aipops

How I Built an AI Tool My Mom Can Actually Use

What did you do this summer?

I spent some of mine building a tool for my mom…or mother-in-law and everyone else who is not tech savvy…

Several evenings after the family had gone to bed, and the dog snored, I carved out a few hours to build CragBase.com – an AI-powered assistant/agent platform designed for people who aren’t technical, but still want the power of AI in their everyday life.

Why?

Because AI is too important to be left to the tech crowd…and excluding everybody else who is not tech savvy.

The Problem: AI Isn’t Friendly to Normal Humans

On a daily basis I work with software architecture and I use AI every day – but when I introduced my mom (and later my in-laws) to tools like ChatGPT or Claude, the reactions were mixed:

  1. “Where do I even start?”
  2. “Do I have to log in every time?”
  3. “It’s asking me to upgrade to something?”
  4. “What do all these technical terms mean?”
  5. And my personal favorite: “What do I even use this for?”

Even though the AI was helpful, the friction around the interface, setup, and pricing made the experience feel… inaccessible for them….wtf.. So I asked myself:

What would an AI tool look like if it were built for people like my mom – or yours?

The Idea: A Human-Friendly Wrapper on Top of AI – Hide the Tech, Keep the Power

CragBase is my answer.

It’s not a new AI model – It’s a friendly, human wrapper around some of the best large language models (LLMs) available – but designed with a clear purpose:

Make advanced AI feel as simple as asking a helpful friend for advice.

Here’s how it works under the hood, and How Is It Free?

Magic. And some very intentional engineering:

  1. 8 AI providers (Groq, Google Gemini, HuggingFace, Mistral AI, OpenRouter, Perplexity, Cohere, OpenAI)
  2. 30+ models including Groq’s LLaMA 3.1 (fastest), Google’s Gemini 1.5 Flash, HuggingFace’s open-source models, and premium models through OpenRouter
  3. Smart routing system that picks the right model for each task
  4. Free-first strategy to avoid unnecessary costs
  5. 189 requests per minute total capacity across all providers
  6. Intelligent load balancing supporting 80-100 concurrent users

How I Keep It Free (Even With Premium Models in the Mix)

CragBase is 100% free to use – no account, no tracking, no ads. Ok ok –you can log in and get additional free requests…

To make that possible, I had to get creative with architecture:

  1. I prioritize free models from HuggingFace and Groq
  2. For short queries, I use lightweight models like Phi-3-mini (fastest)
  3. For longer, more complex tasks, I route to quality models like LLaMA 3.1
  4. Premium models (like GPT-4 Turbo, Claude 3 Opus) are potentially available for paying users who need more power
  5. I load balance across providers to reduce cost and improve availability
  6. Automatic fallback ensures the system never goes down

This strategy keeps CragBase fast, affordable – and always available. ,,and No ads. No cookies. No “please accept our 300-page privacy policy.”

Under the Hood: Built with Developers in Mind

Although the frontend is designed for non-tech users, the platform itself is modern and developer-ready:

  1. Frontend: Next.js 14 (React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS)
  2. Backend: Node.js with Prisma for structured, scalable data
  3. AI Integration: Dynamic model routing, auto-failover, rate limiting
  4. Security: End-to-end encrypted, GDPR compliant, no tracking or cookies..except for stuff I need to keep people logged in.

Advanced Prompting Behind the Scenes

Behind the simple user interface lies sophisticated prompt engineering. Cragbase uses an advanced system of system prompts and context handling that ensures every user interaction delivers locally tailored results.

The system automatically analyzes user input to understand:

  1. Task type (writing, explanation, planning)
  2. Language and tone (formal vs. informal, Danish vs. English)
  3. Context and complexity (short answer vs. detailed analysis)
  4. Target audience (professional vs. personal use)

Based on this analysis, the system selects the best AI model and applies the optimal prompt strategy. Short, simple questions get fast, focused responses from lightweight models like Phi-3-mini, while complex tasks like CV writing or document analysis get access to powerful models like LLaMA 3.1 with detailed system prompts.

It all happens automatically – the user experiences just a natural conversation, while the AI system behind the scenes works with advanced prompt techniques to deliver precise, actionable results.

What You Can Use It For

CragBase isn’t just a chatbot. It’s a collection of specialized AI micro-assistants/agents, each designed to handle a specific task:

Professional Tasks

  1. Writing professional complaints to companies
  2. Creating CVs and job applications
  3. Improving emails and business communication
  4. Optimizing LinkedIn profiles

Everyday Planning

  1. Creating personal budgets and financial plans
  2. Planning travel itineraries and vacations
  3. Generating meal plans and recipes
  4. Making checklists and to-do lists

Bureaucracy

  1. Writing letters to municipalities
  2. Understanding doctor’s notes and medical documents
  3. Navigating bank communications
  4. Explaining complex rules and regulations

Learning & Understanding

  1. Explaining complex documents in simple terms
  2. Breaking down difficult concepts
  3. Understanding legal documents and contracts
  4. Getting help with school-related tasks

You can start these assistants directly – or use the “Sparring” agent, an intelligent orchestrator that reads your free-text input and automatically routes you to the most relevant specialist agent.

This orchestration is powered by a lightweight rule engine that interprets your intent and matches it with the right AI assistant – so you don’t have to know which agent to pick. It feels like talking to one assistant, but you’re really getting the precision of many.

How It Works

  1. Natural Input: You describe your problem in plain language
  2. Smart Routing: The Sparring agent analyzes your request and suggests the best specialist
  3. Specialized Help: You get focused assistance from an expert in that specific domain
  4. Professional Output: Receive polished, ready-to-use results

Why It Matters

AI should not be limited to people with technical skills or insider knowledge.

CragBase is my, maybe naive, attempt to break that barrier and bring practical, safe, everyday AI to the rest of us.

✅ No login required

✅ Completely free access

✅ Works across devices (mobile, desktop, tablet)

✅ Designed for real-world tasks – not just conversation

What’s Next?

CragBase is live now at www.cragbase.com and already helping some real users getting real things done – without needing to understand prompts, models, or tokens.

In the coming months, I’ll be:

  1. Expanding the assistant library with more specialized tools
  2. Launching a Pro version with access to premium models
  3. Adding more languages (expanding beyond the current 4)
  4. Enhancing the orchestration system for even smarter routing
  5. Try Building community features

The Mission

“AI skal ikke imponere – det skal hjælpe.” (AI shouldn’t impress – it should help.)

This Danish phrase captures the essence of CragBase. I’m not building AI to show off technical capabilities, but actually trying to build AI that actually helps people solve real problems in their everyday lives.

Whether you’re a parent trying to write a complaint to your child’s school, a senior citizen navigating government forms, or anyone who just wants AI to work without the technical complexity –.

// Thomas

Built with ❤️ in Denmark

Checkout cragbase.com to try it yourself.