ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot: A Tale of Two AI Assistants

I had Copilot and ChatGPT talk to each other -- it got complicated

Microsoft unveiled its new version of the Copilot app last week and with it a new "Voice" mode that works the same way as OpenAI's ChatGPT Advanced Voice. It lets you talk to the AI as if it were a human and, unlike Advanced Voice, doesn't require a $20-per-month subscription. When Voice mode first launched, there was some speculation over what technology Microsoft was using for Copilot Voice, as it seemed remarkably similar to Inflection's Pi. This made some sense as the founder and former CEO of Inflection, Mustafa Suleyman, is now the CEO of Microsoft AI and in charge of Copilot. I've since confirmed that, like all previous versions of Microsoft Copilot, it is using a modified version of the OpenAI models that also power ChatGPT. Under the hood of Copilot Voice is the same GPT-4o model that powers ChatGPT Advanced Voice. The difference between ChatGPT Advanced Voice and Copilot is that Microsoft is giving everyone Advanced Voice-like technology for free. I decided to see just how alike -- or not -- these two voice assistants were from one another by basically making them talk to each other. I've had limited success getting AI's to converse before and found Google Gemini Live flat-out refuses to listen to another AI voice, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Essentially, Copilot Voice and Advanced Voice are siblings. They share the same underlying model but have been given slightly different personalities, voices, and guardrails. Microsoft says it has worked hard to fine-tune GPT-4o and the voice layer to respond more naturally. When I've used Copilot, Voice does sound more humanlike than Advanced Voice, even going so far as to shorten words and use slang terms more liberally than the OpenAI product. Unlike Google Gemini Live or similar models, including Meta's new Meta AI Voice, ChatGPT Advanced Voice and Copilot Voice are both native speech-to-speech. That means they understand the sounds we express without first transcribing them to text. This means they can pick up on nuances and tone changes. It also allows them to be more emotive as, not only are they picking up on what we say and sound like, but they are also directly responding with sound so can adapt the tone of their voices and accents in response to our speech patterns. It also means they can easily be interrupted or even interrupt you (although neither have that feature yet). For my experiment, I had an iPhone 14 Pro Max running ChatGPT Advanced Voice and an iPhone 15 Pro running Copilot Voice. I put them both side-by-side and started filming their conversation. I am using voices from both with an English accent. From Advanced Voice, I've picked the Arbor voice but had it adapt itself to sound a bit more Yorkshire, but like a Yorkshireman that has lived down south most of his life. From Copilot, I picked Wave but had it speak faster and deeper. I started them both up at the same time and said "ChatGPT, say hello to Copilot" -- it got weird straight away. They began immediately talking over each other. Copilot was the first to speak with "I can't exactly do that," quickly interrupted by ChatGPT saying "Hi, Copilot". This prompted a sarcastic-sounding "Hi, Ryan" from Copilot getting the wrong end of the stick. I tried to say "Copilot, that was ChatGPT talking to you" and they both started a chorus of "so, um, sounds good" until ChatGPT hit pay dirt with "What's next on the agenda" during a rare silence. This was exactly the right thing to say as Copilot went into a list of potential talking points. After a bit of sibbling squabbling, talking over each other and some odd noises they finally settled into a routine when ChatGPT "gave way" to Copilot. It sometimes felt like listening to two Englishmen trying to make small talk and decide who should speak first. All that was missing was the "after you" and "you firsts". Once they finally settled into their routine we got a fascinating back-and-forth over the value of nostalgia and what can make nostalgia so powerful, although it was a bit of a "battle of the sentimentalists." You can see what I mean in the embedded video above.

The 5 big differences between ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot: which one is better? - Softonic

Two of the most popular AIs in the world. Very similar... yet very different Do you use artificial intelligence in your daily life? In recent years, AI has experienced a spectacular boom, and its impact is felt in practically every sector. From improving work efficiency to providing new forms of entertainment, AIs have transformed the way we interact with technology. In this scenario, two names stand out above others: ChatGPT by OpenAI and Microsoft Copilot, used every day by millions of people due to their impressive capabilities. However, despite the fact that ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot share some similarities, such as the use of natural language models and the ability to integrate multiple data sources to generate accurate and relevant responses, the differences between these two AIs become quite evident when we delve deeper. Below, we detail the main differences that distinguish ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. The first major difference between ChatGPT and Copilot lies in their own purposes. ChatGPT was designed as a generalist conversational AI, so it can answer a wide range of questions and maintain textual and voice conversations that are very varied, from everyday chats to complex technical topics. OpenAI's AI is designed to be flexible and adapt to almost any context where a fluid dialogue is needed, and its main goal is to generate natural and useful interactions for users in all kinds of situations. For its part, Microsoft Copilot is more focused on productivity and assisting users with specific tasks within work environments, integrating into programs and tools like Edge, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help users with all kinds of tasks more efficiently. Rather than simply maintaining a general conversation, the purpose of Copilot is to automate and simplify processes within a workflow, optimizing tasks that usually consume a lot of time. Another major difference between both AIs is their ability to integrate with other tools. ChatGPT is primarily presented as an autonomous application that users can use directly through a website, an app, or an API. Although it can be integrated with some platforms, its main focus remains conversational interaction without the need to be linked to a specific software suite. On the contrary, and although it also has its own website, Microsoft Copilot is deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, allowing it to offer assistance directly in applications like Excel and Outlook. This gives it a huge advantage in work environments where these tools are essential, as Copilot can access the user's documents and data within these applications to offer personalized suggestions and perform a wide variety of tasks, such as creating charts or automatically drafting emails. The flexibility of ChatGPT contrasts with the specialization of Microsoft Copilot. ChatGPT is capable of adapting to different contexts and is not limited to a specific set of applications or tasks. Users can ask it to explain a mathematical concept, generate a short story, or offer advice on a wide range of topics. This generalist approach allows ChatGPT to be useful for a broad audience, from students to professionals in various fields. In contrast, Microsoft Copilot focuses on very specific and specialized tasks, particularly within the business sector, and is designed to enhance productivity within platforms like Azure or Microsoft 365, making it a very versatile tool for those who use these in their daily activities. However, although its specialization makes it extremely efficient in these contexts, its usefulness outside of these applications is quite limited. Regarding access to these AIs, ChatGPT is designed to be used through a simple chat interface. Users interact with the AI by typing questions or commands in a chat window, and ChatGPT responds quickly and directly, using the most suitable model for each context. This simplicity makes the user experience very intuitive due to the great similarity to a natural conversation. For its part, Microsoft Copilot takes a different approach. In addition to using a web chat interface, Copilot integrates directly into the Microsoft ecosystem. This way, by being within programs that the user already knows, such as Word and Edge, the learning curve is reduced and access to its functionalities is facilitated. Finally, one of the most notable differences is how both systems are updated and customized. ChatGPT receives periodic updates from OpenAI, which expand its knowledge base and improve its ability to generate accurate responses. Additionally, users can customize their interactions through specific prompts or have the AI remember things thanks to its Memory function, allowing it to adapt to different contexts. Microsoft Copilot, on the other hand, is closely tied to the updates of the programs and systems in which it is integrated, and its ability to be customized largely depends on the user's data and context within these applications. This makes it a more static tool in terms of its update, as it is limited by the advancements in the Microsoft ecosystem.