When we first drafted this article in 2023, generative artificial intelligence (AI) was a fairly new tool that people, mostly agencies, were dipping their toes into. Two years on, and the world and their wife are using AI for everything – from businesses creating content, to individuals using it to create recipes and shopping lists.
The common question is – which generative AI tool should you be using? Below, we delve into the differences between ChatGPT and Google Gemini (previously called Google Bard), and look at the issues around using AI.
Why Use AI?
AI chatbots allow you to streamline tasks, and can be used in various areas of your work and in business operations, including:
- Generating content ideas
- Writing emails
- Creating Google Sheets or Excel formulas
- Enhancing customer service to reduce workload
- Language translation
- Streamlining research, allowing you to sift through materials to identify facts and answers
Both of the chatbots we’ll be looking at here use natural language processing, meaning users type in a prompt or query, and chatbots generate a human-like response.
The main difference between the two is based on the models they’re trained on and access to the AI itself. Google Gemini is trained on data chosen to enhance dialogue, whereas ChatGPT is trained on predefined data.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT rose to fame in November 2022, and although it has many benefits, it also has disadvantages. ChatGPT uses OpenAI’s Generative Pre-Training, GPT 3, GPT 4 and GPT 5. It currently supports 58 languages.
Pros of ChatGPT
✓ Trained on a dataset of text, including Common Crawl, Wikipedia, books, articles and documents from the open internet.
✓ Features to add custom instructions to set preferences – such as short or long answers.
✓ Collaborative approach, allowing you to share conversations with others.
✓ All users, even those on the free plan, can access image generation.
Cons of ChatGPT
× Requires paid subscription for quicker processing times.
× If you want to modify questions or responses, you have to prompt again so that it updates its answer.
× Slower than Google Gemini.
You can now verbally communicate back and forth using the mobile app, making it easier to interact with on iOS or Android. However, this can’t be used with the web finding content, so responses will be limited to data prior to September 2021.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini was launched in February 2023 under the name Bard (Better Accessible and Responsible Development), and has since been renamed to Gemini.
Google Gemini is trained on publicly available code datasets and Google Cloud specific material. It is currently available in 40 languages and in 230 countries.
Pros of Google Gemini
✓ Responses via internet access.
✓ Free with a Google or Google Workspace account.
✓ Gives images as answers in prompt results.
✓ ‘Modify Response’ icon allowing you to select a modification (e.g. short/casual/professional).
✓ Export responses to Gmail and Google Docs when connected to your Google Workspace. For example, you could ask Google Gemini to help create a piece of content, which can be easily exported to Google Docs to begin drafting.
✓ Gemini Advanced is available for more capabilities.
Cons of Google Gemini
× Although it can read responses out loud, it is given in a somewhat uncomfortable robotic voice.
Features in Common
Both ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer free plans, in addition to outputs being formatted with headings and bold text, making them easier to read.
They also both offer chat history to keep conversations for your ease. You can also like and dislike responses to inform future responses, which will help to train your specific account on the type of content that you want to receive in outputs.
Both ChatGPT and Google Gemini offer integrations to connect directly to other apps, and both can be accessed on the web or through Android or iOS apps.
Which is Better – ChatGPT or Google Gemini?
They are both evolving quickly, with new features being added frequently, and selecting the right one for you will depend on your purpose.
We believe that ChatGPT is better for writers, due to its speciality in natural language tasks, making it great for brainstorming ideas and new content. In contrast, we think that Google Gemini is ideal for research or time-relevant information. This is because it can cite its sources, and you can also choose to ‘double check response’, which links to Google Search results.
With all this being said, it’s important to do your due diligence. Never copy and paste directly from a Chatbot AI as this could lead to plagiarism. What’s more, both ChatGPT and Google Gemini have been known to generate inaccurate responses and may need prompt engineering to improve response output.
