Navigating the AI Chatbot Landscape: A Practitioner’s Guide

Information flood. Content saturation. Tool proliferation. Productivity pressure. AI-generated and AI-augmented processes are multiplying fast, leaving us mentally exhausted in a world where answers are abundant, but clarity and purpose are rare. There are thousands of general or specialized AI chatbots/tools out there, some are free while the others charge subscriptions fees. Do you need to know all of them? How do you know when to which one? As an experienced corporate AI executive and hands-on chatbot users myself, I am going to go over the top 6 most popular general-purpose AI chatbots using their free versions to provide you a clear guide so that you have the clarity and confidence in using them to boost your productivity and unleash your creativity.

The Personality Spectrum

Do you know that not all the AI chatbots are created equal, just like humans? AI is developed by humans, used by humans, and for the benefits of humans. Since all AI models require clear objectives, are trained on specific data, and tuned using reinforcement learning, reward models and human feedback, they unavoidably reflect the developers’ mission, values and philosophy. Over time, each major AI chatbot actually has evolved into a distinct personality and approach to problem-solving. Understanding these personalities and their capabilities is key to choosing the right assistant for your specific needs.

ChatGPT: “The Polished People Pleaser”

ChatGPT remains my go-to platform for many tasks, largely due to its versatility and strong history-saving capabilities. It allows you to rename, save, archive, or delete conversations, creating a convenient workflow. However, I’ve noticed its tendency to be what I call a “people pleaser” — often hedging answers excessively and avoiding strong stances on divisive topics.

This diplomatic approach has advantages and drawbacks. When you need balanced, nuanced responses that consider multiple perspectives, ChatGPT excels. But when you need decisive opinions or unconventional thinking, this people-pleasing tendency can be limiting.

How I use it

This is my #1 go to place for the initial ideas and most general tasks. It always understands me well so that I don’t need to repeat the existing context. I use it specifically for business and professional writing and communications, such as business strategy, execution plans, road maps, sales pitches, etc. My conference speaking proposal generated by ChatGPT was unanimously selected a few months ago, after several iterations of different versions of proposals with it. But I did come up with the main ideas and framework independently based my own experience without the aid of any AI tool, keeping its originality, authenticity and uniqueness.

Claude: “The Ethical Scholar”

Claude stands out for its thoughtful, nuanced approach to complex topics. It excels at deep text analysis and ethical reasoning, making it my preferred choice for philosophical discussions or when navigating ethically complex territories.

What impresses me most about Claude is its ability to balance thoughtfulness with practicality. Its coding capabilities are remarkable, and its ability to generate output separately and share it adds significant value to my workflow. The option to choose writing styles (normal, concise, exploratory, formal) is helpful, though not as extensive as some competitors’ offerings.

How I use it

I trust Claude for its thinking and authenticity. I especially like it objective/chart generation capability, on top of its amazing coding capability. Since I am a visual person, I’d like to generate a visual framework first before writing, Claude is my great companion for that. I also trust Claude for polishing my writing as it has passed the AI detection by all other major AI chatbots (see my last post on Can AI Detect AI Writing, and Should You Use It?) . The picture at the top of this blog was actually generated by Claude.

Gemini: “The Multimodal Consultant”

Google’s Gemini has carved out a unique position with its exceptional multimodal capabilities and strong integration with the Google ecosystem. It processes text, images, and code effectively, making it versatile for multimedia tasks.

However, Gemini often comes across as what I’d call a “corporate consultant” — following strict guidelines and sometimes refusing reasonable requests. Its search function is impressively strong and up-to-date, but its extreme risk aversion can be frustrating when you need creative or slightly unconventional responses.

How I use it

I use Gemini as my talking buddy and voice research assistant. If you want to quickly research some companies, fields, or subjects without typing or while taking a walk outside, Gemini is your best friend. I use Gemini for my initial research, understanding and exploration on company or individual, including direct links to their YouTube videos, since it’s also owned by Google. This reduces the needs to type and read and save my fingers and wrist from developing carpal tunnel syndrome, which is very real and prevalent in this heavily digital reliant world.

Grok: “The Rebel”

Grok represents a refreshing departure from the increasingly cautious approaches of other AI systems. It challenges conventional wisdom and refuses to conform to common standards — a welcome change after watching other platforms become more middle-of-the-road with numerous guardrails in place.

What’s particularly interesting about Grok is its willingness to take time (sometimes several minutes) to return with strongly opinionated, well-documented responses. This critical thinking approach can be valuable, though it sometimes prioritizes being edgy over being helpful and can sound more authoritative than its actual knowledge warrants.

How I use it

Grok is my devil of advocate that I’d like to challenge with. It’s unconstrained, stubborn, and not easy to back down, which I actually appreciate. I value its input and will debate heavily with it. I usually take ChatGPT’s ideas and ask Grok to critique them. Its reasoning capability is deep and thorough but sometimes would fabricate things to make its own points across.

Perplexity: “The Fact-Checker”

Perplexity has established itself as the go-to platform for fact-based research. Its ability to provide sources and citations makes it invaluable when accuracy is paramount.

I’ve found Perplexity to be somewhat less conversational than other options — it focuses primarily on delivering facts rather than engaging in dialogue. This makes it ideal for research tasks but less suitable for creative or open-ended conversations.

How I use it

I mostly use Perplexity for research when I absolutely need valuation and accurate information reliable sources. If I want to dive into certain subject area and want to find and read the research paper or author, I will go to Perplexity as my librarian.

DeepSeek: “The Technical Specialist”

DeepSeek excels at solving technical problems with straightforward, genius-level solutions. Its approach reminds me of elegant mathematical proofs — direct and efficient.

However, its English writing fluency lags behind competitors, and its web version offers limited functionality. It heavily promotes its mobile app, which aligns with its strong presence in the Chinese market but creates friction for users elsewhere.

How I use it

For technical problem solving and use cases, or when I want to tab into Asian philosophy and way of thinking or create content for the Chinese users. Its recently server availability and stability seem a little concerning, I guess due to the large number of users in China.

Major AI Chatbots Comparison Table

Decision-Making Framework: Choosing the Right AI Assistant

When selecting an AI assistant for a specific task, I consider three key dimensions:

Communication Style vs. Information Accuracy

• Need conversational flow? Claude or ChatGPT
• Prioritize information accuracy? Perplexity or DeepSeek

Creative vs. Analytical Needs

• Creative writing or brainstorming? ChatGPT
• Complex analysis or reasoning? Claude
• Technical precision? DeepSeek
• Source-backed research? Perplexity

Risk Tolerance and Openness

• Need conventional, safe responses? Gemini
• Prefer challenging perspectives? Grok
• Want balanced, thoughtful responses? Claude
• Require technical precision? DeepSeek

The Integration Strategy: My Personal Approach

Rather than relying exclusively on one AI assistant, I’ve developed what I call an “integration strategy.” This approach involves using multiple AI tools in complementary ways:

1. ChatGPT as my primary interface for general tasks and creative work
2. Claude for complex reasoning, ethical discussions, and coding projects
3. Perplexity for fact-checking and research
4. Grok when I need fresh perspectives or unconventional thinking
5. DeepSeek for technical problem-solving and programming challenges
6. Gemini for tasks involving multiple media types or Google integration

This strategy allows me to leverage the strengths of each platform while mitigating their individual weaknesses.

Looking Forward: The Evolving Landscape

As these AI systems continue to evolve, we’re seeing interesting developments:

• Gemini is expanding into domain-specific applications
• ChatGPT could benefit from developing a knowledge repository feature
• Claude is enhancing its artifact generation capabilities
• Grok is refining its balance between edginess and accuracy
• Perplexity is working on improved conversational abilities
• DeepSeek is expanding its international usability

The AI chatbot landscape is far from settled, and understanding the nuances of each platform will become increasingly important as they continue to specialize and evolve. There are thousands of other specialized AI apps in the marketplace, with new ones popping up every day. It’s difficult to keep up with all of them. I anticipate there will more integration, acquisitions, and consolidation happening in the future, with few mega apps being the go-to place for daily common tasks, and domain specific apps augmenting, streamlining, and automating tasks along the business process or value chain. Knowledge will no longer be the selling point, but usability and integration will be the key differentiators.

Conclusion: The Art of AI Tool Selection

Choosing the right AI assistant is becoming an art form in itself. By understanding the unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses of each platform, you can select the optimal tool for each specific task.

My approach involves embracing the diversity of the AI ecosystem rather than seeking a single, perfect solution. This flexibility allows me to harness the full potential of these remarkable tools while navigating around their limitations.

What’s your experience with these AI chatbots? Do you have a favorite, or do you also use multiple systems for different tasks? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

About the Author: An experience AI executive, practitioner, and thought leader specializing in AI strategy, literacy, adoption, and practical applications of conversational AI systems. With extensive experience leading AI system development and implementations in Fortune 500 companies and using all major AI chatbots for my personal use cases, I help organizations and individuals navigate the complex landscape of artificial intelligence philosophy, minds, strategy, and tools. Follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nanalytics.