I read a tweet(X) that Claude and Perplexity aren’t popular yet with the masses. It quite shocked me that these chatbot/conversational AI applications are not as popular as I would imagine. I have written many articles before under the guise that Claude and Perplexity are popular, like Practical AI Prompting for Daily Use and Prompt to be More Engaging and Informative Creation.
The masses haven't even heard of Claude or Perplexity pic.twitter.com/vmwvsawBtS
— Dennis (@dkardonsky_) September 15, 2024
To have the same understanding of my writing, apps like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are examples of conversational AI applications, designed to mimic human-like conversations using advanced technology. They operate using large language models (LLMs) trained on extensive datasets to understand and generate text. These models leverage natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) to interpret and respond to user inputs across various contexts such as customer service, content creation, and personal assistance. Conversational AI aims to provide efficient, accessible, and human-like interactive solutions across multiple industries.
After a bit of research in Indonesia, the same trend also applies,
With this, while many people are familiar with ChatGPT, these other tools are powerful AI applications Claude and Perplexity that deserve attention. This article aims to introduce these models, explain their functions, and highlight their similarities with ChatGPT.
What is Claude?
Claude is an AI language model developed by Anthropic, designed to understand and generate human-like text. Its main function is to assist users in a range of tasks, from answering questions and providing explanations to generating creative content and engaging in conversations.
Latest Features of Claude:
- Artifacts: Recently introduced, this feature allows users to create and store various content types. It enables collaborative work by letting users manage their ideas and projects within the Claude platform effectively.
- Projects: This new functionality enhances collaboration among users, particularly for Pro and Team users. It brings a structured approach to managing tasks and discussions, making it easier for teams to work together.
- Humor Understanding: Claude has been updated to better understand and generate humorous responses, enhancing its ability to engage in light-hearted conversations.
Enhanced User Experience: With the introduction of Claude 3.5 Sonnet, users can expect improved conversational fluidity and context awareness, making interactions even more natural and relevant.
From my experience, I prefer Claude over ChatGPT; as the language and results are more consistent and resonate better with me than ChatGPT.
What is Perplexity?
Perplexity is primarily known as an AI-powered conversational search engine, focusing on providing accurate and concise answers to user queries. Its goal is to facilitate immediate information retrieval while allowing for an interactive conversational experience.
Latest Features of Perplexity:
- Pages Feature: Perplexity now offers a feature that generates customizable web pages based on user prompts. This tool helps compile information and resources into shareable formats, enhancing accessibility.
Copilot: This innovative feature assists users in refining their queries by asking clarifying questions, helping them narrow down their searches for more accurate responses.
AI-Powered Summaries: Perplexity can provide concise summaries of web pages, allowing users to quickly grasp essential information before diving deeper into any topic.
Collaborative Documents: The platform now supports creating interactive, shareable documents, making it easier for users to compile and organize information collaboratively.
From my experience, the results are quite biased; at first, I thought it aggregated the results, then made a summary, but after intense testing, it sometimes hallucinates, so confirmation and rechecking are still a must. But as a starter, if you can pay the price, it’s a Google replacement.
Similarities with ChatGPT
Claude and Perplexity share several characteristics with ChatGPT, making them valuable alternatives in the Conversational AI landscape:
- Natural Language Processing: All three models leverage advanced natural language processing capabilities, enabling fluid dialogue and a clear understanding of user intent.
Wide Range of Applications: Whether generating text, answering questions, or assisting with brainstorming, Claude, Perplexity, and ChatGPT offer versatile tools for a variety of tasks.
User-Friendly Interfaces: Each tool prioritizes accessibility, allowing users to engage without needing technical expertise.
Continuous Improvement: Like ChatGPT, both Claude and Perplexity are under constant development, focusing on enhancing their performance and understanding user needs.
Conclusion
While ChatGPT has become a household name in the AI space, Claude and Perplexity offer compelling alternatives with their own unique strengths. Claude shines with its more structured approach and coding-friendly features, while Perplexity carves out its niche as a conversational search engine designed for quick, relevant responses. As we’ve explored, each tool brings something valuable to the table, whether it’s Claude’s artifact feature or Perplexity’s AI-powered summaries.
My personal journey with these tools has led me to prefer Claude for its consistency, especially in coding tasks. However, I’ve found that Perplexity, despite occasional hallucinations, serves as a useful starting point for research. ChatGPT, while powerful, has shown some inconsistencies in my recent experiences.
The elephant in the room, particularly in regions like Indonesia, remains the pricing. At around $20 per month, these subscriptions represent a significant investment – equivalent to nearly a week’s worth of meals for some. Fortunately, the free versions provide a taste of their capabilities, allowing users to explore before committing.
As AI continues to evolve, it’s clear that no single tool has a monopoly on perfection. Each has its strengths and quirks, and the best choice often depends on the specific task at hand. Whether you’re a casual user or a professional seeking to leverage AI, exploring these alternatives can broaden your toolkit and potentially enhance your productivity.
In the end, while I’ve moved to API usage for cost efficiency, I encourage readers to experiment with the free versions of these tools. Your experience might differ from mine, and you may find unexpected value in features I haven’t highlighted. The world of AI is vast and rapidly changing – there’s always something new to discover.
Note:
- I don’t test Gemini because, for me, it hallucinates too often when I use it.
- I used to subscribe to all three (ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity) but stopped last May and switched to API for all three to save costs.
