Since the inception of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI chatbots have become a significant topic of discussion across the internet. The versatile capabilities of ChatGPT in text generation, conversational interactions, coding, and more have sparked a surge in demand for this chatbot.
Following the remarkable success of ChatGPT, numerous companies swiftly entered the generative AI domain to compete with this innovative technology.
Shortly after the launch of ChatGPT, Microsoft introduced AI integration into its Bing search engine, initially named Bing Chat and later rebranded as Copilot. While both Copilot and ChatGPT serve a similar purpose, Copilot stands out for its distinct feature of unrestricted access to the entire internet.
So, when faced with the decision of choosing between these two chatbots, which one should you opt for? Let’s compare ChatGPT (the free version) and Copilot to facilitate your decision-making process.
Opt for ChatGPT if…
1. You seek to experience the buzz firsthand
ChatGPT has maintained its position as the leading AI chatbot since its launch, setting the standard for the multitude of AI chatbot derivatives that have emerged subsequently.
Benefiting from widespread recognition and popularity, ChatGPT rightfully garners significant attention. It serves as a highly proficient chatbot capable of offering insights and support across various domains, including technical fields like writing and coding.
Currently available for free to all users, ChatGPT presents an opportunity for those curious about the benefits of an AI chatbot to explore the origins of this trend. By experimenting with the chatbot that initiated this revolution, you can determine the features that best suit your requirements in a chatbot assistant.
2. You require clarity on pre-2021 topics or events
Trained on web data predating 2021, ChatGPT possesses the ability to furnish comprehensive, conversational responses to inquiries concerning events or subjects that transpired before 2021.
This capability proves invaluable when seeking elucidation on established topics during learning or research endeavors, such as historical events or scientific concepts. ChatGPT can elucidate a topic in a manner akin to a tutor, offering detailed explanations at any time (barring capacity constraints) and addressing numerous queries.
While ChatGPT offers an optional web search plugin for current information, this feature is exclusive to ChatGPT Plus, a subscription-based service priced at $20 per month. Notably, the web search function in ChatGPT leverages Bing as its search engine, distinct from Copilot’s generative AI technology.
3. You prefer extensive, detailed responses
Through our evaluations, ChatGPT has demonstrated a propensity for delivering comprehensive responses surpassing those of competing chatbots like Copilot.
For instance, when presented with a complex query such as “What is life?”, ChatGPT furnishes multiple paragraphs exploring diverse facets and interpretations of the concept.
In contrast, Microsoft’s chatbot provides a succinct four-sentence response to the same query. Furthermore, ChatGPT imposes no query limits, unlike Copilot, ensuring that all follow-up questions receive detailed responses.
Regardless of the number of queries posed, ChatGPT stands ready to provide thorough answers, catering to your curiosity with depth and detail.
Opt for Copilot’s AI-powered search if…
1. You seek information on current events at no cost
For inquiries pertaining to contemporary events, Copilot emerges as the preferred chatbot.
By indexing the entire internet, Copilot accesses real-time updates, stories, and research, enabling it to furnish timely responses to your queries in a conversational manner. This feature proves invaluable for staying informed about ongoing news developments.
While ChatGPT also leverages Copilot for its search functionality, access to this feature necessitates a ChatGPT Plus subscription. Consequently, Copilot remains the go-to choice for obtaining information on current events without any additional cost.
2. You aim to verify sources
An inherent concern with ChatGPT lies in the inability to verify the accuracy of its responses, as it does not provide sources for its information.
To address this issue, Copilot incorporates a feature that includes sources alongside its responses. Each response generated by Copilot contains footnotes that direct users to the exact sources from which the information was derived. By clicking on these footnotes, users can access the respective web articles, ensuring transparency and credibility.
This sourcing capability proves beneficial in scenarios where accuracy holds paramount importance, such as professional or academic tasks, research endeavors, or casual conversations necessitating factual accuracy.
Moreover, queries related to mathematics on Copilot present complex mathematical expressions alongside their markups, serving as visual aids to authenticate the answers’ origins.
The citations feature is now accessible on ChatGPT through the Copilot integration, albeit requiring a ChatGPT Plus subscription.
3. You desire access to OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-4, at no cost
GPT-4 represents the latest advancement in OpenAI’s language model systems, surpassing the capabilities of its predecessor, GPT-3.5, which powers the free version of ChatGPT.
Accessing GPT-4 is possible through two avenues: ChatGPT Plus subscription or Copilot, which is free of charge.
Therefore, if you wish to explore OpenAI’s latest model without incurring any expenses, Copilot stands as the sole option. Following the introduction of GPT-4, Microsoft disclosed that Bing AI had transitioned to operating on GPT-4 since its launch.
