Bing Chat and ChatGPT are two of the latest natural language chatbots that are widely available, both competing for your attention and text messages. Both AIs are based on similar language models, but there are some clear differences between them, which makes the ChatGPT vs. Bing Chat debate worth having.
If you want to play around with both of these exciting tools, here’s everything you need to know to choose the one that’s right for you.
How do you use ChatGPT and Bing Chat?
Both Bing Chat and ChatGPT are available for general use, but the way to access them is a bit different.
ChatGPT is widely available and accessible through the main OpenAI website. You can use ChatGPT for free once you’ve created an account, and there are ways to quickly access it from your desktop or Mac, if needed.
Bing Chat is also available, but you must have special access. To join the waiting list, visit the official site and sign up. You should receive access in the next few days to weeks as capacity increases.
Bing Chat is available on more platforms. You can not only access it through the official website, but you can also access it through Bing on any supported device. There are also Bing Chat integrations in Skype, Teams, and the Edge browser. ChatGPT is available on Slack and is coming to Discord soon.
ChatGPT is free to use, but there is a premium paid tier, known as ChatGPT Plus, which provides greater access to the tool, including GPT-4. Bing Chat is completely free, but there is a limit of 15 conversations you can have per day, and the length of the conversation is also limited to 2,000 characters per prompt or response. ChatGPT also has a character limit, but currently does not have a limit on the number of conversations you can have per day.
What language models do ChatGPT and Bing Chat use?
The current version of ChatGPT that you can access for free is based on the GPT-3.5 language model. According to Microsoft, Bing Chat actually uses the more advanced GPT-4 model, which was recently announced.
In theory, that means Bing Chat should be more useful. Just be careful not to walk into War games territory by playing certain games, as Bing Chat has been known to get a bit existential at times.
Both ChatGPT and Bing Chat are based on the same fundamental language model, known as GPT-3.5. They have access to information up to and including 2021, which gives them plenty of scope to answer questions in natural language and with relatively up-to-date information. However, that can leave holes in your knowledge.
Bing Chat, on the other hand, has the ability to pull information from newer web sources. He has also received additional training so that he is better able to follow directions and complete more nuanced tasks.
What can you do with ChatGPT and Bing Chat?
The main function of ChatGPT and Bing Chat is that they can understand when you ask them questions or make statements in natural and human language. Both services support a variety of languages, although ChatGPT is more focused on English, where Bing Chat offers a wider variety of non-English languages.
Both Bing Chat and ChatGPT can be used for research, asking questions that go beyond what traditional search engines are capable of understanding. For example, I used it for a recent article I wrote about Nvidia’s biggest failures, asking, “What are the reasons for the biggest drops in Nvidia’s stock value?” If it’s something you’d type into Google Search, you can also put it into one of these AI chatbots.
ChatGPT is particularly good at creative writing, so asking him to write something on a certain topic, or in another writer’s style, will result in a very credible attempt to complete what you ask of him. Note, however, that ChatGPT cannot verify itself against multiple sources, so you can just as confidently introduce errors as you do with statements of fact.
Bing Chat isn’t that great at the writing type, as it can’t provide such lengthy responses and is more fact driven than creative endeavors. However, Bing Chat has a number of discrete modes that it can be switched to, turning it into a virtual assistant or casual friend chatting with you about everyday life. Being able to choose between Creative, Balanced, and Precise is great as it allows you to tailor your conversations more to your goal. ChatGPT’s one-size-fits-all approach requires a little more nuance and description in the prompts.
There is also a hidden game mode, where you can play trivia, hangman and other simple games with him.
Is Bing Chat more accurate than ChatGPT?
Bing Chat has the potential to be more accurate than ChatGPT, because it pulls more recent information and relies on multiple sources of information.
ChatGPT relies on a singular source of data from its language model, so it doesn’t have access to more recent information and can’t cross-reference your responses to confirm accuracy.
Because Bing Chat is based on GPT-4, in theory it should be a bit more powerful and nuanced than ChatGPT. Early testing of GPT-4 on ChatGPT Plus has shown some promising results so far, such as one user’s success creating a workable Pong game in less than 60 seconds.
In terms of accuracy, the other cool feature that Bing Chat offers in its “learn more” suggestions. This is not only a more ethical and transparent way of displaying information, but it also gives you a place to go next, more like a proper search engine.
Both chatbots have their place
Bing Chat and ChatGPT are very exciting new tools with a lot of potential. Each is better at certain things, with Bing Chat better at finding up-to-date information and acting as an assistant, while ChatGPT is more adept at creative conversations or helping with writing in a specific style. It can be great for pointers or to correct something you’ve written.
Bing Chat is more accessible, with more companies partnering with Microsoft and OpenAI to bring Bing Chat to more services. However, ChatGPT is also being adopted by various companies and services, so it is likely that both will become more widely available in the near future.
When it comes down to it, though, the 15-conversation-per-day limit will likely make people turn to ChatGPT first, allowing for more exploration without needing to worry about using up your daily allowance.
Editors’ Recommendations
