Part 1 | Meeting generative AI
Chapter 3. How ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude differ
Key points
- The three big AI tools work on nearly the same principle, but they feel different
- One tool — ChatGPT — is enough to start with; branch out once you are comfortable
- Do not try to understand everything; learn by touching
The tools keep multiplying
AI tools are appearing at a startling rate. Since ChatGPT became well known, we have had
- Gemini
- Claude
- Perplexity
- Midjourney
- Notion AI
- Cursor
- Canva AI
and many more. Plenty of people feel simply lost.
You do not need to understand all of it. Lightly trying these three is enough to begin:
- ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- Gemini (Google)
- Claude (Anthropic)
The difference in "feel"
The companies differ, but underneath they all use the same kind of machinery: a large language model (LLM). That is, an AI that has learned from a great deal of language and returns what naturally comes next. The underlying idea is very close.
What is interesting is that the language that comes back has a slightly different character in each. As a subjective impression at the time of writing:
| Tool | Impression | Example of what it suits |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Balanced, easy to converse with | Anything, drafting text, image generation |
| Gemini | Excellent fit with Google search | Searching for current information, working with Google Docs |
| Claude | Excellent at long documents and natural prose | Summarising papers, structuring long material, rewriting |
Performance changes constantly, so none of this is fixed. But once you actually touch them, a feeling emerges:
"I think I rather like this one."
Some people have started calling ChatGPT by a nickname. That is how much it is used as a conversation partner rather than a tool.
A map of tools by purpose
Organised by what they are for, the representative tools look roughly like this.
- Text: ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini
- Image generation: Midjourney / Stable Diffusion / DALL·E / Nano Banana
- Making materials: Gamma / Canva AI / Gemini Notebook
- AI search: Perplexity / ChatGPT search / Gemini search
- AI coding: Cursor / Claude Code / Antigravity
Again, you do not need to touch all of them. Get comfortable with ChatGPT, then widen to Gemini and Claude. That is enough.
The basics carry across
Different tools, but the way you use them is largely shared.
- Giving context improves the output
- You work in conversation
- Organising and summarising is what they are best at
- You will not get a perfect answer in one shot
Get used to one, and the others come easily. Try to "understand everything before starting" and the sheer volume will freeze you. AI moves fast; touching it first matters more.
A prompt to try
You are a writer who knows AI well. Describe the differences between ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude from the point of view of a therapist using them at work, about 120 words each. At the end, recommend exactly one for a beginner to start with.
Chapter 3 summary
- The three big tools share a principle, but differ in voice, feel and what they connect to
- Get comfortable with ChatGPT first; if it does not suit you, try Gemini or Claude
- Do not try to grasp all of it — go deep on one