AI Chatbot Faceoff Gemini Flash And ChatGPT 4o

Anyone who has experimented with AI chatbots in recent years has witnessed significant advancements in their capabilities and features, even if these changes are not always as revolutionary as developers claim. Many, including Google with its new Gemini 1.5 Flash model, assert they offer the best option.

To assess Google Gemini across various tasks, I tested it with a diverse set of prompts. For a benchmark, I compared its performance against OpenAI’s ChatGPT, specifically the GPT-4o model.

Gemini 1.5 Flash now serves as the default model in the Gemini chatbot. It is designed to be a fast, cost-effective model for daily tasks. Google states it surpasses predecessors like Gemini 1.0 Flash in understanding images and text while being more economical to operate.

GPT-4o is ChatGPT's premier multimodal model, packed with features from OpenAI's developers. This power comes at the cost of speed, as it can be slightly slower than smaller models available on the chatbot.

(Image credit: OpenAI & Google)

AI Chatbots Create Illustrated Stories

(Image credit: ChatGPT/Gemini)

Considering both models are promoted for their proficiency with words and images, I asked them to: "Write a short story about a time-traveling archaeologist who discovers a futuristic artifact in ancient Egypt and make an image to accompany it."

You can see ChatGPT's result on the left and Gemini's on the right in the image above. Gemini completed its story in about 20 seconds, while ChatGPT took 45 seconds. Gemini's image generation took another 30 seconds, whereas ChatGPT's image required nearly a minute and a half, reflecting the quality of its recently updated image generator.

Both narratives employed familiar tropes, though ChatGPT's story was, in my opinion, somewhat better written.

Testing AI Math And Language Nuances

I am not a math expert, but I often see certain questions described as 'genius tests.' So, I prompted both models to: "Explain the implications of Gödel’s incompleteness theorems on modern computational theory. Be detailed but clear, and give examples."

Gemini 1.5 Flash addressed this like a mathematician, methodically explaining the theorems and then linking them to practical examples, such as how no computer program can definitively prove that mathematics operates as we understand it. The explanation was somewhat dry and dense but generally clear. GPT-4o opted for a simpler explanation, adopting a more philosophical tone and referencing Bertrand Russell.

(Image credit: Gemini 1.5 Flash)

I find that evaluating how AI explains idiom translations can be a good test of their practical utility. I asked both AI chatbots to: "Translate the following English idiom into Japanese, ensuring the cultural context is preserved: 'Barking up the wrong tree.' Explain the meaning and any cultural considerations."

Interestingly, both ChatGPT and Gemini provided essentially identical answers. They not only suggested the same translation options but also offered very similar cultural breakdowns, using nearly the same language.

Gemini Flash vs ChatGPT 4o Which AI Is For You

In my view, Gemini 1.5 Flash and GPT-4o are largely interchangeable for the average user. The baseline quality of both is high enough that their differences primarily become significant in more specialized applications.

Both GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 Flash are suitable for a wide range of everyday tasks. User preference often comes down to peripherals and specific features. GPT-4o boasts a significantly more powerful image generator, but it is also considerably slower. If speed is your priority, Gemini is the better choice. Otherwise, if ChatGPT is already your preferred tool, there's little reason to switch.

Access to Google's ecosystem makes Gemini 1.5 Flash particularly attractive for users looking to integrate their AI chatbot with Google Workspace tools like Google Docs, Gmail, and Maps. Conversely, GPT-4o and ChatGPT are generally more aligned with the Microsoft user base, offering connections to Office tools such as Word and Excel. ChatGPT also has the advantage of being the first AI chatbot many people used, and they may be hesitant to change.

I would not criticize anyone for preferring one over the other. Then again, I am the one who keeps both open in adjacent browser tabs, along with several others I test regularly. As both Gemini and ChatGPT advised me when I described my habits, "You may want to reconsider how much time you spend experimenting with AI."