Top 3 Microsoft Copilot Alternative: ChatGPT vs Bard vs Meta
AI chatbots are the most popular tools right now. It all started with ChatGPT’s popularity back in early 2022, and now the competition has become more fierce. The top tech companies like Google, and Meta (formerly Facebook) have come out with their own large language models (LLM), too.?
We created this blog post assuming that you work in a corporation **in corporate or are looking to streamline your work day. That said, here at Intellezy, we love Microsoft Copilot. In fact, we have a dedicated course that you can check out if you want to get the most out of Microsoft’s newest AI chatbot.?
But we also recognize that there are various Microsoft Copilot alternatives out there; and that’s a good thing! Competition breeds innovation, and with AI becoming more accessible, that race to become the go-to AI companion is faster than ever.?
So here are the top three AI chatbots that we think could rival Microsoft Copilot:
What is ChatGPT?
First on our list is the one who made this “genre” (if you could call it that) popular, ChatGPT. OpenAI’s chatbot became the most widely known AI companion in November 2022. Of course it wasn’t the first LLM but back then, this technology wasn’t accessible to the public. In the past, it was hidden behind a paywall and only a few companies were able to access GPT-3.5. It wasn’t until OpenAI let the public tinker with ChatGPT-3.5 that it gained massive popularity; it even reached 100 million active users!
Pros to ChatGPT
Fast-forward to 2024. ChatGPT has undergone major developments, and its interface looks more streamlined now. Based on our testing, its free version ChatGPT 3.5, still gets the job done for the majority of your use cases.?
Let’s say you’re new to Microsoft Excel and you’re stuck with a problem, ChatGPT-3.5 can diagnose and formulate a solution based on how well you described your problem and what results you’re looking for.?
That goes for all these LLMs. These Copilot alternatives are just as good as the instructions you gave them. But what really sets ChatGPT apart from the competition is its ability to understand contexts from your first prompt to your most recent one. It’s capable of dynamic conversations and responses without going too off-track with the topic.?
Cons to ChatGPT
The most glaring issue with OpenAI’s public chatbot is its price tag. Currently, the free version uses GPT-3.5, which means it’s not the fastest or most reliable chatbot model. Moreover, ChatGPT is not connected to the internet, so its knowledge base is only limited to January 2022—that is, until you pay a subscription to get ChatGPT-4.?
If you’re looking for an AI that excels at historical accuracy or any query that needs the most up-to-date information, ChatGPT-3.5 just doesn’t cut it. You may get better results when you subscribe to ChatGPT-4 (since it learns from its massive user base with the combination of its GPT-4 language model). But that paywall doesn’t make it a feasible Copilot alternative for us since Microsoft’s AI chatbot already has GPT-4 access even with their free web version.
What is Gemini?
Google has also made its own LLM, which was previously called Bard and is now called Gemini. Before Gemini was released to the public, Google had already been in the AI race for a long time. For those who follow tech news, Google shocked the world in 2018 when it announced an AI assistant that could mimic your voice on phone calls.?
Pros with Gemini
Now with Gemini, it has solved one of ChatGPT’s biggest weaknesses, its paywall. With Gemini, you get access to their image generator, it can crawl the internet for the most up-to-date information and is fully integrated into Google’s ecosystem.?
That last part is the most appealing factor of Gemini because you get to do things you couldn’t do before with ChatGPT. Do you need a summary or a cohesive transcript of a video on YouTube? Done. How about getting the cheapest flight based on your location? No problem. Want to increase your productivity? Well, Gemini can even summarize documents you've stored in your Google Drive!
Using Gemini just feels more convenient because Google’s products are widely used worldwide. Using Gemini is similar to using Apple products—being in their ecosystem just makes sense.?
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Cons with Gemini
Despite its ability to access information online, it can still make mistakes. Based on our testing, if a topic isn’t widely popular, Gemini may make some inaccurate responses so fact-checking is still a must. Thankfully, you can check where Gemini got its information by clicking on the Google icon below its response.?
Gemini’s other drawback is Google’s bias. About two months ago, Google halted access to its image generator. That’s because users on social media quickly discovered the historical inaccuracy of its generated images regarding ethnicity. For example, The Verge tested this by asking it “a US senator from the 1800s”. It generated images of women of color, which is factually inaccurate because Moseley Braun was the first female African-American senator in 1922. So, this issue made massive headlines and Google has since then addressed this issue.?
But that goes to show that these LLMs are just as good as the data they have been trained upon. Despite these issues, its integration with widely popular Google products is undeniable. If your organization uses Google Workspace and you haven’t utilized Gemini in your workflow yet, you’re missing out on many time-saving features.?
What is Meta AI?
Meta has also been in the AI market for quite some time now. When Meta joined the competition, it only offered a commercial version called Llama. Companies can then tweak and modify this LLM to fit their needs.?
Thankfully for us regular people, they released their own Meta AI chatbot. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any standout features like Gemini. Moreover, it’s region-locked, meaning it’s inaccessible in some parts of the world.?
To add insult to injury, CNET’s test concluded that Meta AI is prone to hallucinations. It came up with “recommended locations that had permanently closed and made up names of several restaurants”. While we couldn’t test Meta AI ourselves, we can confidently say that it’s no Microsoft Copilot alternative.
The Winner: Google Gemini
Google Gemini has really outdone itself in this fierce AI chatbot race. Its capabilities and integration with widely used Google products shine through, especially for office use. For example, Gemini is able to bridge the skill gap when it comes to learning Google Sheets through its ‘Ask Gemini’ feature.
It even excels for personal use. If you told us that in the future you can get the cheapest flight ticket without having to go through many third-party apps, we would not have believed you. Between these three AI chatbots, Gemini is our solid Microsoft Copilot alternative.?
Why We Choose Microsoft Copilot
Here at Intellezy, we believe learning should be accessible and effective. Before Gemini and other AI chatbots that came out after ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Copilot were free and open to the public from the onset.?
Moreover, its ability to gather information from the internet and fast results when asked specific questions made Copilot our number one choice. For example, you have the option to choose between three different conversation styles to suit your needs. Moreover, they also have their own specialized GPTs to help you with various tasks.
You can also take your productivity one step further if you use Excel and other Microsoft 365 products. Their Notebook function also bridged the gap between having an AI companion to help us with everyday tasks. If you’d like to get the most Copilot, check out our video here.?
You can also take your productivity one step further by using Excel and other Microsoft 365 products. Their Notebook function bridges the gap by providing an AI companion to help with everyday tasks. To make the most of Microsoft 365's powerful features, including the new AI Copilot, check out our comprehensive video here.
But why stop there? Elevate your skills and become a Microsoft 365 expert by exploring our extensive range of courses and lessons. Visit our website now to discover how you can unlock Microsoft 365's full potential and transform your productivity. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be ahead of the future.