Best AI tools that are not ChatGPT

While ChatGPT is the most well-known large language model artificial intelligence (AI) tool, numerous alternatives have popped up since its launch that have similar or even more advanced capabilities, depending on your use case.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT launch in November 2022 became a pivotal moment in the development of AI, specifically generative AI with a moderate ability to interpret and reproduce natural speech.

While AI technology has been around for many years, ChatGPT provided a sneak peek of how it could radically change the world, presented in a way that was easy for the ordinary citizen to understand.

Since ChatGPT came onto the scene, listed companies with big stakes or investments in the AI industry — like Nvidia and Microsoft — have seen their share prices surge.

Although still in its relative infancy, generative AI has already become a disruptive technology in various industries.

Everyone, from actors and teachers to accountants and software engineers, has been confronted with the disruption of AI in their professions and industries.

Current AI software is adept at simplifying and automating mundane tasks like crafting emails, coming up with basic ideas, and collecting and analysing vast amounts of data.

To fully understand the ecosystem of generative AI, it is important to distinguish between the large language models (LLMs) and apps themselves.

LLMs are essentially a framework or complex collection of calculations and relationships — almost like a brain.

Examples include OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s Gemini, Meta’s LLamA, and Anthropic’s Claude.

The “brain” can be plugged into various pieces of software that are user-facing.

The software can play around with parameters in the model that determine how the a user’s input will be interpreted and what response they will get.

Below are four powerful LLM-based AI tools that offer free options.

Anthropic Claude AI

Based on the Claude family of large language models, Amazon backed Anthropic’s LLM capabilities include natural language processing, data analysis, and automation.

Its models are intended to be harmless and helpful without relying on significant human feedback and fine-tuning.

That has sometimes led to criticism of stringent ethical alignment that reduces its useability and usefulness.

Nonetheless, the free version of Claude AI has performed better than the free version of ChatGPT in conventional AI benchmarks.

Claude’s free version runs on Claude 3.5 Haiku and offers limited prompts on the web, Android, and iOS.

The $20-per-month paid Pro version supports more prompts, the use of additional models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and early access to new features.

Google NotebookLM

NotebookLM is a note-taking and study tool developed by Google Labs that uses the company’s Gemini LLM to assist users with understanding documents and media.

It can analyse PDFs, websites, YouTube videos, audio files, and Google Workspace documents and summarise their content.

Based on that content, it can also generate a “deep-dive” discussion — a podcast in the format of two people talking about a topic.

NotebookLM provides clear citations for its work so that users can verify whether its interpretations are factual.

Numerous news publications have praised the tool’s features, with CNBC calling it the “next killer app in generative AI” and Wall Street Journal describing it as “one of the most compelling and completely flabbergasting demonstrations of AI’s potential yet.”

NotebookLM is free for individuals. Over 80,000 organisations have joined the pilot of its business product.

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft has a significant stake in OpenAI and uses the company’s GPT LLM as the brain behind its Bing Chat and Copilot tools.

Copilot has become deeply integrated into Microsoft 365’s popular productivity apps, including Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Some of its standout features include summarising multiple emails and generating frequently asked questions (FAQs) sections in Word.

In Teams, the tool can provide a recap of meetings, which is useful if you cannot remember what was discussed or want a summary of the most important details.

Perplexity

Perplexity appears to be highly popular among technical communities, amassing 15 million monthly users by the first quarter of 2024.

Its strength lies in offering access to several major third-party and in-house LLMs.

The primary Perplexity product is an AI-powered search engine with conversational interpretation and responses.

The free Perplexity plan uses a standalone LLM based on GTP-3.5 with the added capability of Internet browsing.

The $20-per-month Perplexity Pro subscription grants access to GPT-4, Claude 3.5, and LLaMa 3 for more advanced features.

In addition to text and image generation, users can also generate a customisable web page with basic prompts using Perplexity Pages.