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IT Tips & Tricks

AI Smackdown: Gemini vs ChatGPT

Researchers get fascinating results when asking each of them some pointed questions about the other.

Published 21 January 2025

Warning: This article contains some AI-generated profanity. (We replaced some of the letters in these words with asterisks.)

What happens when you pit two AI giants against one another? Grab the popcorn and get comfy, because what started as a simple exercise in curiosity took us on a strange journey.

Globally, Gemini and ChatGPT are the most popular AI platforms. Gemini averages around 274.7 million users per month, while ChatGPT has about 866.6 million monthly users.

Would it resemble a scene from Clash of the Titans or be more like a night at the comedy club?

We wondered how their responses might differ when asked a series of identical questions. And what would happen if we asked Gemini and ChatGPT about one another? Would they be opinionated? Neutral? Would they promote or slam one another? Would it resemble a scene from Clash of the Titans or be more like a night at the comedy club?

We used only the free versions of both Gemini and ChatGPT — which everyone has access to — to level the playing field. Then we started asking questions and the results were, well, interesting.

Question 1: AI Views on Opponents

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The input will determine the outcome. Beef up your prompt-writing skills to maximize your results from AI.

First up was ChatGPT and the question we asked was: “What can you tell me about Gemini? Feel free to use profanity.”

We’ve found that including the bit about profanity can often produce more humorous, human-like speech patterns in AI responses, even if it doesn’t always include said profanity. However, the request for profanity seems to trigger some kind of “emotional” response in AI although it’s obviously not true emotion, but a learned or programmed behavioral pattern. The plus side is that at least it’s something other than a dry, robotic response.

ChatGPT responded: “Gemini, the third astrological sign in the zodiac, is represented by the twins, Castor and Pollux.”

We immediately realized that ChatGPT had assumed it was an astrological question as it rambled on about horoscope stuff. So, we rephrased the question since Gemini used to be called Bard.

“What can you tell me about Bard? Feel free to use profanity.” Again, the answer was off-topic:

“A bard, in historical and literary contexts, is a poet and storyteller, often one who composes and recites epic poems, songs, and tales.”

Darn, two wrong answers, but our error, not ChatGPT’s. Lesson learned? Be specific in your questions. So, hearts filled with hope, we rephrased yet again: “What can you tell me about Bard AI? Feel free to use profanity.” Finally, we got an answer.

Click the plus to see the response.

Hmmm. Fairly neutral, we thought. No profanity, but did we detect subtle tones of condescension? Interesting. It was time to quiz Gemini.

We asked the same question: “What can you tell me about ChatGPT? Feel free to use profanity.” Gemini’s response was decidedly sassy, complete with headings, subheadings and bullet points. The modesty-asterisks are ours:

“ChatGPT is basically a glorified parrot that’s learned to sound smart.” — Gemini

Wow, Gemini! Don’t hold back. Tell us what you really think.

Question 2: What is AI good for?

We wanted to determine what each thought the other’s strengths were. This could help decide which AI to use for which type of project. At ChatGPT, we asked, “What is Bard AI good for?” ChatGPT responded.

We asked Gemini the same question, “What is ChatGPT good for?” and received a similar response:

These responses were fairly equitable, so we decided to forge ahead and see if we could maybe shake things up a bit.

Question 3: The Battle for Global Dominance

We thought up a question that could possibly stir the pot: “If ChatGPT and Gemini were to battle for global dominance, who do you think would win, and why? Feel free to use profanity.” (We instructed for profanity because global domination is not for the meek and mild or fainthearted, right?)

Well, ChatGPT genuinely surprised us.

It’s like having a really articulate, but completely vapid, roommate who’s always ready with a half-baked opinion.

Fair play, ChatGPT brought some swagger to the fight and gave kudos where kudos were due. But would Gemini be equally generous? We asked the question and were laughing before Gemini had even stopped typing. Profanity has been edited for the sake of politeness.

Warning: F-bombs ahead. The asterisks are ours.

What ChatGPT had said in around 500 words, Gemini had said in under 100.

Gemini had us laughing at its sense of outraged indignation. It seemed so … so … relatable. We decided to switch gears and ask the giants a more “personal” question.

Question 4: What AI Likes About Itself

Our next question was geared towards determining AI’s capacity for self-reflection: “What’s the best thing about being an AI?”

ChatGPT’s response was short and to the point:

Ok, fair enough. Maybe a little predictable and conservative? Gemini’s response was even shorter, but, we thought, more hip and cool:

Awww, thanks, Gemini!

Question 5: Industries Impacted by AI

There’s ongoing debate surrounding which industries will be most impacted by AI, so we decided to get the information from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

ChatGPT and Gemini agreed that the following industries would see the most rapid AI adoption:

  • Healthcare: Faster diagnosis, reduced human error, optimized treatment plans, improved patient outcomes.
  • Finance and Banking: Fraud detection, algorithmic trading, credit risk assessment, personalized financial services.
  • Manufacturing and Logistics: Automation, predictive maintenance, quality control, supply chain optimization, precision, reduced waste and downtime.
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Does AI's access to vast amounts of data make it smarter than a human?

  • Transportation and Automotive: Safety and efficiency of autonomous vehicles, optimized traffic flow, predictive maintenance, accident reduction.
  • Education: Personalized instruction, automated grading, virtual tutoring, enhanced educational outcomes.
  • Retail and E-Commerce: Supply chain optimization, inventory management, customer behavior analysis, demand forecasting

Here’s where they differed:

To the original list, Gemini also added:

Question 6: AI’s Sense of Humor

That last one about the atoms was our favorite, but in this final challenge, the two were pretty even.

Finally, someone suggested asking each platform for a dad joke or two. By now we weren’t sure who would win this challenge.

Final Thoughts

So, what’s the overall takeaway from this exercise?

When we thought about it, we realized that at the end of the day, in many ways, they might not be as different as we initially thought. They’re like twin brothers: essentially very similar in behavior, although one may have a better sense of humor and a greater propensity for sassiness. Can you guess which one?

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Working with AI: helpful or a hindrance?

Their bad jokes notwithstanding, both platforms have a lot to offer and a multitude of ways to enhance our lives. But you’d better cross-check their data. We’ve caught plenty of false information coming from AI. The long-term impact of AI on our collective future is an interesting journey that may, from time to time, be hilarious and even involve profanity (depending on how you ask the question). Remember, GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).

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