Las Vegas (AFP) – Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) models have been vying for the lead, with the US and China serving as hotbeds for the technology. GenAI tools are capable of creating images, videos, or written works, as well as answering questions and tending to online tasks based on simple prompts. These AI assistants stand out for their popularity and sophistication.
– **Hot ChatGPT** – AI existed before ChatGPT, but it was the first to make GenAI freely available for people to use as a dedicated application. San Francisco-based OpenAI has made ChatGPT more powerful and capable with each update, the most recent being GPT 4.5. One version of ChatGPT released late last year, called o1, was touted as a next-generation model that takes time to ponder answers, providing comprehensive results and being less inclined to err. Instead of instantly generating results, the model shares its “chain of thought.” OpenAI has imbued ChatGPT with the ability to act as a digital “agent,” capable of browsing the internet, compiling information, and using computers the way people do when working on tasks.
– **Google Gemini** – Google has long utilized AI behind the scenes at its platform but introduced Bard to take on ChatGPT in March 2023. Bard was gradually replaced by a more advanced Gemini model built into Pixel phones and more. The Internet giant integrated Gemini into its famous search engine to display results summaries called “AI Overviews,” along with links in response to queries. Google also applied AI to allow people to search using pictures, videos, or sound instead of just typed words. Such “multimodal” input capability has become common in GenAI tools. A Gemini 2.0 model capable of “step-by-step” reasoning made its debut in February of this year.
– **Cautious Claude** – Founded by former OpenAI engineers, Anthropic launched Claude in March 2023. The San Francisco-based startup emphasizes responsible development of AI, moving more cautiously than competitors as it innovates. Anthropic unveiled Claude 3.7 Sonnet in February, its first model combining instant responses and thoughtful reasoning. Claude was previously enhanced with a “computer use” feature that allowed the AI to independently perform computer tasks as a person might.
– **Mighty Meta** – Meta has integrated custom AI into Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp, Messenger, and its Ray-Ban connected glasses, aiming to make it the most widely used digital assistant in the world. Meta’s chatbot is based on the tech firm’s open-source Llama model, which is considered one of the most powerful in the world. Recent press reports indicate plans by the Silicon Valley titan to release MetaAI as a stand-alone application in direct competition with OpenAI and Google.
– **Grok Snark** – Co-founder of OpenAI, Elon Musk cut ties with the startup in 2018. Since ChatGPT took the lead in the GenAI race, Musk has sued OpenAI, offered to buy it, and launched a rival named xAI. Musk’s chatbot Grok has the advantage of utilizing the trove of posts at X, formerly Twitter, for training the AI model, especially after he bought Twitter in late 2022. Musk has compensated for lost time by spending billions of dollars on high-end Nvidia chips for powering AI datacenters. He promotes Grok as a chatbot with personality, humor, and fewer constraints on what it produces.
– **Upstart DeepSeek** – DeepSeek was founded in 2023 by the Chinese investment fund High-Flyer. In January 2025, the Hangzhou-based startup turned the world of generative AI upside down with its R1 model. DeepSeek claims that the AI tool was built using less sophisticated chips than its competitors, significantly reducing costs. The application was downloaded tens of millions of times within just a few weeks.
– **Mounting Mix** – Chinese tech behemoths Tencent (Yuanbao), Baidu (Ernie), and ByteDance (Doubao) are also vying for position in the AI market. In early March, Alibaba released its QwQ-32B model, which it claims matches the performance of DeepSeek-R1. France-based Mistral early last year released Le Chat, AI software particularly advanced in document and image analysis.
© 2024 AFP
