Three Unique Gemini Features ChatGPT Lacks
In the competitive world of AI chatbots, Google's Gemini has established itself as a powerful alternative to more established names like ChatGPT. With a unique set of features, especially for users on Android or Pixel devices, Gemini is worth a second look. If you're looking for reasons to explore beyond ChatGPT, here are three standout features that Gemini does better.
These tools are available across all platforms through the Gemini app and on the web at gemini.google.com. Similar to ChatGPT, Gemini offers a free basic version and paid plans. A Gemini Pro account, which is comparable to ChatGPT Plus, costs around $20 per month and includes 2TB of cloud storage. For more advanced users, the AI Ultra plan is Google's equivalent to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pro plan.
Let's dive into three key features that set Gemini apart.
1. Create Interactive Stories with Storybooks
One of Gemini's most charming features is Storybooks. With a single prompt, you can generate a delightful, illustrated storybook for children in just a few seconds. For example, a prompt like, “Using a Claymation art style, create a storybook about a new kid's first day at a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class and how he had a great time, to help my kid lose his fear of going,” can produce this beautiful storybook.
The result is an interactive book you can flip through, and you can even have Gemini read it aloud. While there might be occasional AI-generated quirks, like a character with three pigtails, they are minor details that most children wouldn't notice. This feature is a fun way to create stories with your kids by choosing characters and plot lines together.
To access this feature, simply click on Storybooks under the Gems section of the Gemini menu. While ChatGPT has custom GPTs that can generate stories, none offer the polished, page-turning reading experience with audio narration that Gemini provides.
2. Learn Faster with Audio Overviews
If you need to get up to speed on a topic quickly, Gemini's Audio Overviews is an incredibly efficient tool. This feature transforms any document you provide into a podcast-style conversation between two AI hosts. Instead of spending time reading through dense material, you can listen to the key points being discussed and explained in a conversational format.
Originally launched as part of NotebookLM, Google's suite of academic learning tools, Audio Overviews are now integrated into Gemini. To use it, click the '+' icon, select Upload files, and choose a text or PDF document. Gemini will then prompt you to Generate Audio Overview. Once it's ready, you can sit back and listen.
This is a genuinely useful feature for productivity and learning that ChatGPT currently does not offer.
3. Generate Videos with Lip-Synced Audio
A Gemini Pro account allows you to create up to three videos a day using Veo 3, Google's advanced video generation model. What makes this feature stand out is its ability to not only create a video but also generate matching sound and dialogue. You can write a short script, and Veo 3 will produce a video of AI-generated characters speaking your lines with perfectly matched lip movements and emotional expressions.
For instance, using the Videos with Veo tool, the following prompt was used:
A man and a woman having a conversation: Him: "Have you heard about Gemini?" Her: "The star sign?" Him: "No, the new AI from Google." Her: "Oh that? I think we're in it!"
You can watch the resulting video for yourself. The AI perfectly syncs the audio to the characters' lip movements, a feat that sets it apart from competitors. While OpenAI has its own video generator, Sora, it currently lacks the capability to have characters lip-sync to a provided script.
These three features showcase that while ChatGPT holds the top spot in popularity, Gemini is a fun, productive, and innovative tool that excels in several key areas.
