I wondered whether ChatGPT 4 was really worth the $20 upgrade, considering Microsoft Copilot is free and also uses OpenAI’s faster and more efficient GPT-4 Turbo model. Turns out, just because two companies are using similar versions of GPT-4 doesn’t mean they’re using it equally.
ChatGPT 4, OpenAI’s most advanced publicly available model, differs from the free ChatGPT 3.5 in a few ways. OpenAI says it has better comprehension and can create more nuanced answers with less bias. After testing, I feel 4.0 ups the cognition, upgrading answers from rote summarizations to scholarly level proficiency. Answers do take longer to generate, but the output is worth the wait. Its ability to juggle dense topics and spit out well thought-out answers puts it ahead of the GPT-4 Turbo model used by the free version of Copilot, which prioritizes speed and efficiency.
But as impressive as ChatGPT 4 is, it still runs into the same issue as 3.5: no internet connection. While the training data is more recent, up to August 2023 as opposed to September 2021, it’s still not possible to get answers to the day’s most pressing and topical questions. So for things like shopping recommendations between the latest Samsung and Apple phones, ChatGPT 4 can only prognosticate on which phone reigns supreme.
Even with this restriction, ChatGPT 4 is noticeably smarter than its free counterpart. And for those who strive for accuracy and ask questions requiring greater computational dexterity, it’s a worthy upgrade.
How CNET tests AI chatbots
CNET takes a practical approach to reviewing AI chatbots. By prompting AI chatbots with real-world scenarios, like finding and modifying recipes, researching travel and writing emails, my fellow reviewers and I aim to simulate what the average person might use them for. The goal isn’t to break AI chatbots with bizarre riddles or logic problems. Instead, we look to see if real questions prompt useful and accurate answers. However, as more advanced models are released, it’ll require more advanced-level questioning to see how AI chatbots can reason with complex and multilayered topics. See our page on how we test AI for more.
When using ChatGPT, keep in mind that the service automatically collects the information you put into its system, so be mindful of giving the service any personal information. For more information, see OpenAI’s privacy policy.
Shopping
If it has the data, ChatGPT 4 will give excellent shopping recommendations. However, for items released after August 2023, like the iPhone 15 and the Samsung Galaxy S24, ChatGPT will use noncommittal language like “might” and “should.” The data gap diminishes its overall effectiveness as a shopping guide, unfortunately.
When I asked it to compare the LG OLEDs G3 and G4, ChatGPT 4 said things like, “the G4 might feature enhanced processing” and “If the G4 has upgraded speakers or audio processing capabilities, it could offer a better auditory experience.” This type of prognostication makes sense if the product hasn’t been officially unveiled. But the G4 TV is on the market now.
At the very least, for less timely inquiries, ChatGPT excels at synthesizing multiple data points and giving accurate and reliable answers. For example, when trying to find a proper uninterrupted power supply for my gaming PC or TV setup, ChatGPT 4 was able to cross-reference the power requirements of my electronics and recommend the appropriate supply. It even explained why buying a sinewave supply would be beneficial as I’d be using sensitive electronics.
As a shopping tool, overall, it’s probably better to reference AI chatbots that do have a direct line to the internet, like Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini and Perplexity. But as a general product research tool, as long as the items you’re referencing are from before August 2023, ChatGPT really does feel like you’re talking to a knowledgeable sales representative at a store.
Recipes
Any AI chatbot can spit out a recipe. That’s not hard. But very few can actually make a good recipe, and ChatGPT 4 is no exception. Like Google Gemini and Claude, when I asked ChatGPT 4 to give a chicken tikka masala marinade, it only touched on the basics. It didn’t include more exotic ingredients like kasuri methi (dried fenugreek), chaat masala and amchur (dried mango powder). While these ingredients aren’t necessary, they should at least be listed as an option.
When it came to making more unique fusion recipes, like a Thai-inspired tres leches cake with a spicy kick, ChatGPT 4 totally understood the assignment. It created a cake infused with coconut milk and lemongrass flavors and combined it with some Thai chili peppers. So when it comes to creating a more authentic recipe, ChatGPT 4 deflates the souffle, so to speak. But for anything that requires fusing foods from different parts of the world, ChatGPT 4 excels.
Summarizing articles
The freely available AI chatbots have struggled with article summarization. Most did a decent job of getting the overarching points, but failed to capture the main thesis or crux of the piece.
I asked ChatGPT 4 to summarize an article I wrote earlier this year about how AI was dominating CES 2024. Where chatbots like Gemini and Claude did nothing more than state the popularity of AI at the show and how many gadgets were unveiled with AI integrations, none did a good job of taking into account the experts I spoke to and some of the skepticisms they raised. ChatGPT 4, however, did.
It was able to look beyond the shiny veneer at the top of the AI boom and see how companies were pushing out AI products too quickly, some of which might simply have been a rebranding of “smart” tech from a few years back.
And, unlike with ChatGPT 3.5, I didn’t run into a character limit when pasting my article into the chatbot.
While the free chatbots can get you some basic talking points, ChatGPT 4 gives you the entire analysis.