Although the history of AI tools as we now know them is brief, it reflects the rapid pace of innovation in the field of large language models. ChatGPT is arguably the chatbot that got the race started, taking the world by storm seemingly overnight in 2022. Its meteoric rise reflects the public’s immediate and all-encompassing fascination with artificial intelligence’s conversational capabilities.
But ChatGPT wasn’t alone for long, quickly followed by several new releases from some of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies—among them Google, with the chatbot now known as Gemini.
A brief history of ChatGPT
ChatGPT’s sudden rise includes a few remarkable chapters:
Launch
ChatGPT 3.5, the popular chatbot developed by OpenAI, a research lab known for its advancements in artificial intelligence, launched in November 2022.
Rapid growth
Within a few weeks, ChatGPT surpassed one million users, and by January 2023, ChatGPT’s user base exceeded 100 million.
ChatGPT Plus
OpenAI recognized the demand for a more premium experience and introduced ChatGPT Plus in February 2023, with reduced downtime and access to new features for users willing to pay.
Big updates
In March 2023, OpenAI integrated the next iteration of its large language model, GPT 4, into ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing search engine, promising enhanced reliability, creativity, and advanced data analysis for users.
Plug-ins and new releases
In April 2023, OpenAI released new plug-ins for ChatGPT, which allow for greater customization and integration with other applications.
App launch and Bing integration
In May 2023, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT iOS app, granting users access to the free version, with GPT 3.5 functionalities for mobile, and Microsoft announced Bing search’s implementation of ChatGPT’s web browsing capabilities.
GPT-4o unveiled
In May 2024, OpenAI unveiled a new flagship model of its underlying engine, GPT-4o. The “o” stands for “omni.” The rollout includes upgrades to the chatbot’s user interface, with notable improvements for its vision and voice mode queries, as well as a decrease in response time.
GPT-4o is free for all internet users. The difference for paid users is that they have five times the capacity limit of free users, meaning the maximum number of times a user can interact with ChatGPT 4o within a set period.
A brief history of Gemini (formerly Bard)
Google’s user-facing AI chatbot hit the market in early 2023:
Launch of Bard
Google unveiled Bard, its answer to the emerging wave of large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, in February 2023. Bard was designed to generate different creative text formats, translate languages, write content, and answer your questions.
Further investment
Google’s next public follow-up on the project was in May 2023, at the company’s annual developer conference, Google I/O. There, Google reiterated its commitment to AI advancements and its potential to transform various applications.
Controversy
In June 2023, reports surfaced about Bard’s potential to generate biased or offensive content. This sparked debates over the importance of responsible AI development and the need for safeguards against bias in large language models.
In Google’s annual AI Principles Progress Update report for 2023, the tech giant offered more details about how responsible AI research is being integrated into its products and risk management processes. It noted that it was “developing methodologies to build models for people from a diversity of backgrounds.”
Rebranding as Gemini
In February 2024, Google changed the name of its product from Bard to Gemini. Google executives, including CEO Sundar Pichai, have commented that the Gemini name better reflects Google’s broader, long-term vision for AI.
While Bard highlighted a specific strength (writing), Gemini signifies Google’s ambition for the large language model (LLM) to be a powerful and adaptable AI tool across industries and applications.
Continued updates
Gemini is currently updated on a monthly basis. In May 2024, Gemini released Gemini 1.5 Pro. It allows users to process significantly more information, running up to one million tokens at once—meaning it can process and analyze up to 1,500 pages in one sitting.
Gemini Advanced is now available in more than 150 countries and territories, in over 35 supported languages.
Gemini vs. ChatGPT
There are a handful of differences between Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT:
Focus
Google’s Gemini focuses on informative responses in its responses compared to other virtual assistants. ChatGPT has a stronger emphasis on conversational responses and creative text formats (like short-form content such as emails or long-form content like short stories) compared to other virtual assistants.
How they work
Gemini is a family of multimodal large language models developed by Google DeepMind, an artificial intelligence research laboratory and a subsidiary of Google. It uses machine learning and natural language processing to respond to text, audio, and image prompts.
ChatGPT also uses large language models, machine learning, and NLP to generate human-quality text and engage in conversations. ChatGPT itself is based on particular GPT (generative pre-trained transformers) foundation models, namely GPT 3.5 and GPT 4, which have been fine-tuned to target conversational usage.
Image generation
Both Gemini and ChatGPT support image generation.
ChatGPT Plus users can use DALL·E 3, OpenAI’s image model, to create images from a conversation. DALL·E 3 was designed to render intricate details, including text, hands, and faces. Users can type in a request to generate a unique image.
To generate images in Google Gemini, users must add a command such as “and generate images for it.” This is useful when you’re drafting social media or blog content and you need a special and unique image to go with it.
Gemini has some important usage caveats. Image generation in Google Apps with Gemini is available in most countries, except in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It’s only available for prompts written in English. The feature is available only to users 18 years old and older.
Languages
Gemini supports more than 40 languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, French, and Spanish, among others. ChatGPT supports more than 80 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic.
Programming languages
Both ChatGPT and Gemini can generate high-quality computer code in the world’s most popular programming languages, including Python, Java, C++, and Go.
Google Gemini is available in both computer browsers and via mobile app. Accessing Gemini for general queries and information is free. For developers, the Gemini API (application program interface) has a free version for building generative AI apps on a limited basis. Google planned to introduce two pay-as-you-go options for greater functionality in 2024.
ChatGPT3.5 is free, and OpenAI offers a subscription tier, ChatGPT Plus, which provides features like priority access and new features for a monthly fee of $20.
Gemini Advanced vs. ChatGPT Plus
Both ChatGPT Plus and Gemini Advanced are available for $20 per month, but ChatGPT is ideal for those seeking more creative text generation and a wider range of artistic outputs. For example, ChatGPT Plus has shown strength in generating poems, scripts, and musical compositions.
Gemini Advanced (previously known as Gemini Pro), is ideal for business and work-related use cases, thanks to its deep integrations in Google Workspace—including Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Docs, and other Google apps.
Gemini vs. ChatGPT FAQ
Is Gemini better than ChatGPT?
Although both Gemini and ChatGPT are large language models, there is a difference in delivery. Ultimately, the “better” option depends on your specific requirements. ChatGPT leans toward conversational and creative text formats, such as generating poems, scripts, and musical compositions. Gemini tends to prioritize integration with Google products. It’s especially convenient for Google Apps users thanks to integrations with Gmail and Google Docs.
Did Gemini replace Bard?
Yes, Bard was renamed Gemini in February 2024, with Google executives saying the new name better reflects Google’s portfolio and roadmap. Both Bard and Gemini offer the same functionalities, such as generating images, answering questions, and generating Google Sheets formulas.
How much does Gemini AI cost?
The standard version of Gemini is free to all internet users. Gemini Advanced costs $20 per month for access to the chatbot’s premium features, as well as additional integrated tools in Gmail and Google Drive.