AI Platforms
This page contains overviews and key features for some of the leading tools in the generative AI space today. The goal is to provide newcomers with a helpful introduction to the different generative AI platforms available. With generative AI advancing rapidly, the details here are subject to change.
ChatGPT 3.5, developed by OpenAI, is the platform that kicked off the AI inflection point towards the end of 2022. It is an incredibly versatile generative text AI platform. It excels in all manner of text-based content generation and has far too many use cases to list here. ChatGPT 3.5 is a great AI platform to try out if you want a powerful and versatile generative text AI platform that has a massive user base, and therefore, a lot of support and examples to draw from online. An account is necessary to access ChatGPT 3.5. Account creation requires a birthday, email address and phone number. There is no cost associated with a basic ChatGPT 3.5 account, but there is the option to upgrade to a paid "ChatGPT Plus" account for $20/month, which increases the speed at which the platform outputs content, provides priority access during peak usage, and includes access to ChatGPT 4.
Key Features
An extremely versatile tool that is able to output text-based content for a wide variety of uses.
The most popular Generative AI platform, and as such, has a large number of examples and use cases that can be found online.
Prompts can be shared, allowing others to pick up where your ChatGPT conversation left off.
ChatGPT 4, developed by OpenAI, is the more advanced version of ChatGPT 3.5 It was trained on a larger data set and is capable of more sophisticated tasks and understanding more complicated instructions. It has a larger token limit than the 3.5 version, which means inputs and outputs can be larger. ChatGPT 4 also provides access to additional features like plugins, the advanced data analysis tool, image genration with DALEE 3, internet access through Bing, custom instructions, and other features, which gives it even greater versatility than the 3.5 version. If you have used ChatGPT 3.5, have found it useful, and would like access to an even more powerful version with greater extendibility, ChatGPT 4 is worth trying out. The same account creation requirements listed for ChatGPT 3.5 apply to ChatGPT 4, however ChatGPT 4 also requires a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription ($20/mo) and is throttled in the number of prompts it can handle.
Key Features
A powerful and versatile platform that is able to understand complex instructions.
Provides access to Advanced Data Analysis for document analysis and creation as well as DALEE 3 for image generation.
Has access to the internet, which allowing for web-based summaries and citations.
Claude is an advanced AI assistant designed by Anthropic, functioning as a versatile generative text platform akin to ChatGPT. It offers much of the same versatility in content generation. What distinguishes Claude is its impressive token limit of 100,000. This broad context window is a boon for a variety of applications, including complex programming scenarios where large volumes of code need to be analyzed. The vast token limit allows Claude to digest the entirety of a code structure, enhancing its efficiency in troubleshooting and debugging. Additionally, Claude's expansive capacity benefits students by accommodating substantial volumes of text such as an entire textbook. This allows Claude to provide context-aware study assistance, generating summaries, answering questions, and offering insights based on comprehensive textbook content. Claude has limited free access with a premium version available for a monthly fee.
Key Features
Massive token limit. 100,000 tokens is roughly equivalent to 75,000 words. This allows you to input an entire book as part of your prompt.
Can upload documents as part of your prompt and ask questions related to them.
Has performance on par with ChatGPT with less requirements for account creation.
Bard is a generative text AI platform developed by Google. Much like ChatGPT, it was trained on a massive data set and is incredibly versatile in its capabilities. One thing that sets Bard apart from ChatGPT is it will output responses that include alternative variations for the user to review and choose from. This can be useful if you want to browse through multiple responses to find the one you prefer. It also includes features like exporting content to Google Docs, text-to-voice, voice-to-text, and image interpretation. Bard also has access to the internet, which allows it to give more relevant responses than what ChatGPT can provide. Bard is free to use and only requires a Google account. However, if you are using an institutional account, your administrator will need to allow access to Bard in order to start using it.
Key Features
Responses are provided with alternative versions that the user can review and select from.
Has access to present-day information, making its responses more relevant.
Has text-to-voice capability, allowing response to be read out loud.
Copilot, developed by Microsoft, utilizes the same GPT4 technology developed by OpenAI. This provides a means for a user to leverage the benefits of GPT 4 without having to pay for a ChatGPT Plus subscription. The trade-off is that Copilot does not provide all of the same additional features that come with access to ChatGPT 4. Copilot is accessible without needing to create an account, and its usage is free of charge. Additionally, it provides users with the flexibility to adjust the platform's tone and style by switching between balanced, creative, and precise modes, tailoring its output to user preferences.
Key Features
Provides access to GPT 4's basic capabilities without paying for a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
Able to search the web to enhance responses and make them more relevant/useful.
Has options to make the AI more balanced, creative, or precise, depending on the use case.
Pi is designed to be a personal assistant. Unlike other generative AI platforms, Pi has strict parameters in place that ensure it serves its intended purpose. This makes it less versatile than other options, but it makes up for this by being far more social and conversational. Pi is designed to carry on conversations with the user and help them unpack ideas in both serious and entertaining ways. The range of topics Pi is able to discuss also makes it quite useful across all disciplines. Pi also comes with the text-to-voice functionality, which adds another layer to the social nature of its interactions. Pi is free to use and will prompt you to set up a free account after some initial usage. You should consider using Pi if you are looking for a conversational AI platform that can relate all manner of topics to you in a social and friendly manner.
Key Features
Conversational personal assistant, designed to be social and helpful
Built-in text-to-voice capability adds to Pi's human-like interactions.
Sacrifices the versatility of other platforms for more of a human-like experience