What the Tech: The Differences between ChatGPT and Claude
What The Tech
BY JAMEY TUCKER, CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
For many people, ChatGPT has become almost synonymous with artificial intelligence.
In fact, it may be the Xerox of AI. Just like people once said they were “Xeroxing” something even when using a different copier, many people now say they’re using ChatGPT even when they’re using a different AI tool.
But that could be starting to change as more users explore another AI assistant called Claude. Claude is developed by the AI company Anthropic, which was founded by former researchers from OpenAI.
Like ChatGPT, Claude can answer questions, write text, analyze documents, and help with research. Recently, however, Anthropic made a decision that drew widespread attention.
A Difference in Philosophy
Anthropic announced it would not allow its AI models to be used for certain military applications. That stance reportedly put the company at odds with the United States Department of Defense and the Trump administration.
Around the same time, OpenAI said its AI technology could be used for lawful government and defense purposes.
For some AI users, that difference alone has been enough to explore other options.
Technical Differences Between Claude and ChatGPT
Beyond philosophy, the two AI tools also have technical differences.
Claude has developed a reputation for handling extremely long documents and complex writing tasks. Writers and programmers often say it performs especially well when analyzing large amounts of text and data. ChatGPT, however, has built a broader ecosystem of tools. It can generate images, search the web, connect with other apps, and generally responds faster.
Some users say Claude also feels more thoughtful in its responses. For example, when asked about a business idea selling pickle-flavored popsicles, ChatGPT enthusiastically encouraged the idea and offered a few suggestions. Claude took a different approach, walking through the pros and cons of the idea, asking follow-up questions, and helping outline a potential business plan.
Competition in the AI Race
Anthropic has also been aggressive in marketing Claude. The company even ran a Super Bowl commercial criticizing ChatGPT’s plan to test advertising in its free version. Despite the growing attention around Claude, ChatGPT remains the much larger platform with hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
Still, the rise of competing tools shows the AI industry is evolving quickly.
Instead of one dominant chatbot, users now have several powerful AI assistants to choose from. And increasingly, many people are using more than one.
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