AI tools are rapidly advancing and spreading, with more people using them for a variety of tasks. AI can simplify everyday tasks, but which AI tool is the best for each situation? I see that many people want to use a single AI tool for everything, but it’s important to understand that each one has different strengths. I’ll compare three of the most popular tools: Perplexity AI, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini.
Why Does It Matter Which AI Tool You Use?
AI tools are built differently and specialize in different tasks. Although each of the tools discussed (Perplexity AI, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini) is a great choice in certain situations, the same tool may not be best for every purpose. If a tool falls short on a particular task, it may not be because of your prompt; another tool might simply deliver much better results.
Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine that provides fast and accurate answers with real-time searches. Its uniqueness lies in displaying sources alongside answers, making the information transparent and reliable. Primarily used for information retrieval, Perplexity AI is less prone to providing incorrect information than chat-based AI. It’s an ideal tool if you’re looking for reliable and current data, such as for research or fact-checking.
Perplexity AI is particularly useful when you need quick answers with recent data supported by sources. This tool browses the internet in real-time to provide immediate responses with accompanying sources. For example, if you want to catch up on a news story or find research materials, Perplexity provides precise, well-structured summaries.
It also works in Hungarian, and it’s worth knowing that if you write to it in Hungarian, it primarily searches Hungarian sources, while if you write in English, it searches English sources (unless directed otherwise).
When you start a new chat (or Thread), you can choose where it pulls its answers from. It can search the internet or focus on academic sources, solve math problems, write without internet browsing, or even include social media results, such as from Reddit, and suggest YouTube videos. The Pro subscription offers even more features, including image generation.
Choose It:
- When you need quick answers on real-time data (e.g., news, sports scores).
- When you need reliable sources, and accuracy is essential.
Not Recommended:
- If you need creative writing, such as blogs, marketing copy, or campaigns.
- If you want an extended conversation on a topic; it may not match ChatGPT’s level in this task.
ChatGPT
Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is the master of content creation and creative writing. This conversational AI provides human-like responses across a range of topics. It’s well-suited for writing, brainstorming, campaign planning, or longer interactions, as it remembers previous conversations. Although it can generate entertaining and inspiring content, it is less reliable for fact-checking and real-time information retrieval.
It’s an excellent choice for writing blogs, ads, and email campaigns. The tool can handle longer conversations, remembers previous messages, and continuously learns from feedback. If you need creative ideas or want to write marketing copy, ChatGPT is unbeatable.
With its subscription plans, it’s also capable of image generation, as well as basic editing and modification of images using DALL-E.
Choose It:
- When you need creative writing, such as blogs, articles, or marketing materials.
- When you want ongoing communication with AI and plan to work on a project over the long term.
Not Recommended:
- If you need accurate facts and real-time information.
- If you need to verify data, as ChatGPT may “hallucinate” and generate incorrect data.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini combines search and creative writing capabilities, offering a hybrid solution. It’s helpful if you need both up-to-date data and creative solutions. Built on Google’s ecosystem, Gemini excels at providing real-time information.
It also has both free and paid versions; experience shows that the free plan is sufficient for basic writing tasks. It supports image upload and voice-based communication as well.
With a paid plan, more functions become available. For example, the Gemini integrated into Gmail greatly simplifies email communication, provides extra storage, allows larger files to be uploaded, and operates with a faster, more efficient model. You can also generate or input images as part of your prompts.
Choose It:
- If you need both real-time search and creative writing capabilities.
- If your project is complex and requires multiple AI capabilities, such as writing and data searching.
- If you primarily use Google products (Gmail, Google Sheets, etc.).
Not Recommended:
- If you want to generate long-form creative content (except with the subscription version), ChatGPT performs better here.
- If you need detailed and precise data processing.
To make the most of AI tools, it’s worth trying each of them, at least the free versions. In summary, while Perplexity AI is excellent for quick searches and gathering information, ChatGPT excels in creative writing. Google Gemini offers a hybrid solution when you need both data and creative content.
Ultimately, whichever you choose, it’s essential to use the tool that best suits the task at hand.
