OpenAI’s ChatGPT was not the first LLM, but it was the most popular and impactful when it first launched. I still remember the excitement of chatting with an AI back in 2022, and realizing that it wasn’t just going to be a novelty but slot itself into my daily work. And I’ve been loyal to ChatGPT since, using it to help me make sense of complex topics, help me plan my schedules, flesh out creative ideas, and much more. I’ve just grown accustomed to its personable and conversational approach.

Over the same stretch of time, other big players kept iterating on their own AI tools; I just didn’t pay much attention. When I finally gave Gemini a proper shot, it became obvious that I’d written it off too early. It feels mature and capable, and oddly more aligned with how I use AI day-to-day and how I think. Here’s how Gemini gives ChatGPT a run for its money…

Gemini has more up-to-date information

It generally has better live data than ChatGPT

ChatGPT introduced web search several years ago, and it now delivers fast and cited responses. Its performance on current events isn’t bad by any means - Gemini’s is just better. By default, Gemini pulls on Google’s core search engine and ranking systems for real-time information through things like AI overviews and web grounding. You can also enable Knowledge Graph integration to use external data to enrich search.

The difference in how information is pulled into responses shows up in daily use. With Gemini, I’m more likely to get up-to-the-minute information without having to explicitly flip on a browsing/search mode or add it to my prompt like I have to in ChatGPT. Gemini’s native search grounding gives it an edge when accuracy and recency matter, especially for research and topical queries.

Additionally, Gemini's Deep Research mode also outperforms ChatGPT's. It generates a very detailed, user-approved research plan, which you can edit before letting Gemini execute the research. This gives me more control of where the research path is heading.

Gemini integrates with other Google products

It’s more useful than I first anticipated

Being another Google product, Gemini integrates smoothly with other Google apps. The first thing I noticed when using the chat features was the option to add my NotebookLM notebooks. This is a game-changer because it combines the strengths of both tools. Gemini gains access to NotebookLM’s curated and private knowledge bases, and it can also cross-reference that data with current web data. I’m just happy about how this eliminates the manual copy-pasting from NotebookLM.

Gemini also lets me connect other Workspace apps such as Gmail, Google Keep, Docs, Drive, and Calendar, as well as YouTube Music. Gemini can cross-reference my schedule with upcoming events through web search, it can summarize long email threads, and it can also index content from my Keep notes and Docs documents using RAG (retrieval augmented generation). I’m going to be honest, I usually keep my Workspace integration off. I know Google has all that data anyway, but I don’t necessarily want an AI to constantly process that content - some Gemini prompts are also reviewed by humans. But I do occasionally turn integration on for quick retrieval.

ChatGPT also has external app integration, actually way more than Gemini. It can connect with Figma, GitHub, Slack, Adobe products, Uber, Canva, Coursera, Asana… the list goes on. But I don’t use most of those apps as extensively as some of Google’s products. Google just holds so much of the context that actually matters in my day-to-day work. All my appointments and meetings are in Calendar, the majority of my communication happens through Gmail, and Google Keep and Docs are some of my primary note-takers. I also use NotebookLM nearly every day for studying and some work, so that’s by far the most important integration for me.

Gemini has Gems

And everyone can use them

Gemini has something called Gems. These are custom AI assistants that act as specialized tools for specific tasks within the Gemini environment. You create one by giving it a name, custom instructions, and adding references. For example, you can create a personal writing coach or a design instructor. The really cool thing is that this function is available to everyone, including free users, and it’s dead-simple to do; no need to set up external tools or API configurations. Plus, it's the perfect tool to use with NotebookLM.

ChatGPT does have custom GPTs, but they have significant limitations for free users and also take some know-how to set up. While custom GPTs are more powerful and offer more customization, flexibility, as well as public sharing, Gems are more accessible to the everyday user.

Gemini has an edge over ChatGPT in several areas

After using Gemini for a while, it became apparent that it surpasses ChatGPT in several domains. It’s better for coursework that relies on factual and up-to-date information thanks to its grounding with the Google search engine. I can easily shift my work between NotebookLM and Gemini without losing any context or spending a lot of time copying things over. And Gems make it easier for me to get a customized experience tailored to my needs.