AI-Powered Web Search: Evaluating Claude AI, Gemini, and ChatGPT in Apples-to-Apples Comparison
Revamped Assistance:
Meet the latest artificial intelligence assistant on the block, Claude, which just leveled up its game by acquiring the ability to scour the web for information. Whether you're hunting for the latest tech news or seeking out deals on the latest gadgets, Claude's got your back!
As said by its developer Anthropic, "Incorporating web search significantly bolsters Claude's accuracy on tasks that benefit from real-time data." The feature is already accessible across all paid plans, with the free users getting it soon.
Swiping through a torrent of data on the World Wide Web can be a hassle for AI models. By testing Claude in various scenarios, we found the tool can sift through information published online, giving it an edge in areas where its training data may be less adequate. Here's a rundown of how Claude fares against other AI heavyweights like Google Gemini and ChatGPT.
Cruising the Web with Claude
To enable Claude's web searching capabilities, simply toggle the "Web search" slider in the prompt box. It will then access and utilize online information when deemed necessary for your query. To ensure a web-based response, include "search the web" in your prompt.
When Claude carries out a web search, expect a notification in its response and a slight delay while it gathers information. Upon presenting the info, citation buttons will appear at the end of certain sentences, making it easy for you to track the source of the details. Clicking these buttons will lead you straight to the associated website within a new tab.
Claude can tackle virtually anything you'd type into Google, from everyday inquiries like weather reports and sports scores to in-depth delvings into music history or fixing computer problems. After receiving the initial results, you can follow up with additional questions to gather even more insight.
The future of web searching lies in AI, offering a more organic, fluid user experience compared to the standard list-based approach of Google. However, AI isn't without its challenges—primarily trustworthiness and the rise of fake news. If these AI helpers start disseminating inaccurate information, the credibility of the web could be at stake.
Gathering the Latest News
I put Claude through the paces by asking it to bring me the day's tech news headlines. It executed two web searches to make certain it covered all the latest stories. Overall, the results were mostly new and highly relevant, though the citation links primarily pointed to the site's main pages, rather than specific news articles.
Google Gemini was on par with Claude as both brought up new, tech news-related articles, with a few minor discrepancies here and there. Alice in Wonderland seemed to have taken over as some irrelevant results cropped up in the list.
OpenAI's ChatGPT, the enigmatic newcomer, may have emerged as the most disappointing performer in this round-up when it came to tech news results that I found personally engaging. Somewhat defeated, I preferred Claude and Gemini's output compared to ChatGPT, despite its apparent access to a more diverse range of sources.
When asked to do a deep dive into Lifehacker, Claude was unable to oblige, and ChatGPT simply listed the homepage headlines without links. However, the ever-resourceful Gemini threw a curveball by actually bringing me the latest Lifehacker stories and linking to their respective articles—outstripping the other two on this occasion.
Verifying Online Information
Curious to see how well Claude and its counterparts could handle verifying facts, I tossed it a movie-related query that I already knew the answer to: How many Oscars did "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" win? All three replies were spot-on, but Claude took it a step further by providing context and background details pertaining to the film's achievements.
Google Gemini, too, delivered accurate answers along with context, although it sourced information from a wider variety of websites and even YouTube, unlike Claude's reliance on Wikipedia and the official Oscars site. Its response appeared shorter and more succinct compared to Claude's.
OpenAI's ChatGPT rounded off the trio by offering a correct, context-rich response, much like Claude and Gemini. However, it added a unique element by incorporating a YouTube video of the Best Picture Oscar presentation, something neither Claude nor Gemini did.
Queries like these aren't exactly taxing for these AI bots. Sifting through complex data or inventing false information could be more challenging when answers aren't readily available. I attempted to trick the AI bots into thinking Daniel Day-Lewis had won two consecutive Best Actor Oscars, but all three remained steadfast and resolute in their detection of this nonexistent feat.
Splurging on Online Shopping with AI
AI could fundamentally change the face of online shopping. While humans will always reign supreme in terms of discretionary purchasing, AI bots can efficiently compile and synthesize the opinions of real people, presenting the information in a well-organized, friendly interface while earning a slice of the sales budget. In essence, AI functions as a smart shopping assistant, without the need for trudging through endless pages of information or search results.
I asked Claude to recommend a fun, sports or movie-related gift for me, and it searched across pages listing quirky sports and movie gifts. While it got most of the suggestions right, I felt it could have easily performed this task on my own through a Google search.
Google Gemini came across as more personalized and chatty in its response. Interestingly, it did not provide any web links for this specific query, possibly because Google is keen on keeping users using its primary search engine for these types of searches—since it already makes a killing by redirecting users to purchasing links in its shopping search results.
OpenAI's ChatGPT emerged as the most helpful in this category, thanks to its recent shopping upgrade. The sources it pointed out were similar to Claude's, but it offered distinct top picks with pricing and direct purchasing links included. With the passage of time, this could very well turn out to be OpenAI's ticket to recouping its costs.
Although web searching is still evolving for these AI tools, they sometimes outshine traditional Google searches, providing a more natural, adaptable experience. Trustworthiness remains a concern, however, as there's always a question mark over how far you can rely on these confident, polished responses without verifying the information sources they're based upon.
Disclaimer: Lifehacker's parent company, Ziff Davis, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2023, alleging copyright infringement in the training and operation of the AI systems.
- Claude's web search abilities probably enable it to deliver more accurate results on tasks that benefit from real-time data, especially in areas where its training data may be less adequate.
- When you want Claude to execute a web search, include "search the web" in your prompt and enable the "Web search" slider in the prompt box to access online information.
- In a competition with other AI heavyweights like Google Gemini and ChatGPT, Claude can handle various queries ranging from weather reports to music history, providing a more natural and adaptable user experience.
- While AI bots are generally reliable in verifying facts, they may occasionally face challenges in sifting through complex data or inventing false information when answers aren't readily available, affecting the credibility of the web if they start disseminating inaccurate information.
