Before ChatGPT became widely popular, I was already testing it and other similar models. Over the past two years, I have developed an understanding of what makes an AI model exceptional, including aspects like speed, reliability, accessibility, cost, and features. Since its launch in February 2023, Copilot was my top choice — until now.
Copilot’s edge was that it provided users with features for free that ChatGPT reserved for ChatGPT Plus subscribers. These features addressed ChatGPT’s major limitations, such as internet access, knowledge of current events, and the ability to provide citations. Because of this, Copilot offered the best value and was, in my opinion, the best AI chatbot available. However, in May, OpenAI’s Spring Update introduced highly anticipated upgrades to ChatGPT, incorporating Copilot’s key features like web browsing, multimodal prompts, image generation, GPT-4 intelligence, document uploads, and more.
So why doesn’t this result in a tie? With the update, ChatGPT also received features that Copilot lacks, including access to OpenAI’s latest flagship model, GPT-4o, among other advanced upgrades. Below is a summary of the features that helped ChatGPT reclaim its leading position (and how you can use them).
1.GPT-4o
The highlight of the updates is GPT-4o, which marks a significant improvement over GPT-3.5. This upgrade provides ChatGPT with enhanced intelligence and additional features such as increased speed and a better understanding of vision and audio. The “o” stands for omni, reflecting its capability to process text, audio, image, and video inputs and produce text, audio, and images. This is a major enhancement from GPT-3.5, which was limited to text.
With GPT-4o, free ChatGPT users now have access to features previously exclusive to Copilot and ChatGPT Plus. These include web-based responses, image and document interaction, the Memory feature, the GPT Store, and data analysis. While Copilot continues to use GPT-4 Turbo, which remains highly capable, it lacks many of the new upgrades offered by GPT-4o.
2. Improved Understanding of Images
Previously, image upload was only available to Copilot or ChatGPT Plus users. Now, the free version of ChatGPT allows image uploads with enhanced functionality. Users can gain deeper insights by uploading images, such as translating a menu and providing historical context, significance, and recommendations. Additionally, users can upload images to have the chatbot extract text and convert it into code, showcasing its advanced capabilities.
3. GPTs and GPT Store
A significant advantage of ChatGPT over Copilot is the ability to create GPTs for free, whereas Copilot requires a $20 per month Copilot Pro subscription for this feature. Custom GPTs allow users to tailor a chatbot to their specific needs, saving time by eliminating repetitive prompting. Free ChatGPT users also gain access to the GPT Store, which hosts millions of customized chatbots created by other users and developers for specific tasks. The store features GPTs from popular apps and sites, including AllTrails, Khan Academy Code Tutor, and Canva.
4. Data Analysis
Both Copilot and ChatGPT assist with data analysis, but Copilot’s data features are limited to Copilot Pro subscribers and work within Excel for formula generation and data summarization. In contrast, free ChatGPT now offers advanced data analysis tools, such as creating interactive charts and tables, interpreting CSV files or spreadsheets, and summarizing data. These tools are platform-independent, allowing users to utilize their preferred data management systems without additional cost.
5. More Languages
The upgrade to GPT-4o significantly enhanced ChatGPT’s translation capabilities, now supporting over 50 languages. By default, ChatGPT detects the browser’s language and adjusts accordingly, but users can also manually change the language in settings.
This expanded language support ensures global accessibility, allowing people to use ChatGPT in their preferred language. In comparison, Copilot supports only 24 languages, making ChatGPT far more versatile for international users.
Bonus: New Voice Mode (Coming Soon)
The Spring Update event showcased the impressive new Voice Mode, which significantly enhances the experience by utilizing GPT-4o’s advanced video and audio capabilities. While Voice Mode was already available, the updated version takes it to a new level.
The new Voice Mode allows ChatGPT to provide voice responses based on the context of your environment. In the demo, the chatbot even comments on the user’s emotions by analyzing facial expressions, demonstrating its advanced contextual understanding.
Another advantage of the new Voice Mode is its optimization for more natural conversation. It can pause when interrupted and uses varied intonation patterns, as demonstrated in the video. Initially, this feature will be available to ChatGPT Plus users in alpha testing and will later be rolled out to free users. In contrast, Copilot’s voice input remains similar to a typical, less natural voice assistant.