ChatGPT or Google: Which gives the best answers?

ChatGPT keeps growing in popularity because of its advanced conversational and technical capabilities. You can ask the chatbot any question you’d like, and it will output an answer within seconds. Google Search can also help you find answers to your questions. While it’s not a search engine, should you be using ChatGPT as your go-to source for information instead of Google?

Also: 6 things ChatGPT can’t do (and another 20 it refuses to do)

Preply, a tutoring marketplace for language learning, tested ChatGPT and Google’s “intelligence” by asking both a series of questions and analyzing their responses. The answers were measured using criteria that include context, details, efficiency, functionality, impartialness, and more. Here is how they both performed. 

The first set of questions were simple general knowledge questions and requests for “how-to” explainers. Some of the questions included, “How to tie a tie?”, “Who is the president of the United States?” and “How many ounces in a cup?”

ChatGPT’s inability to access information published after 2021 made Google the winner for this section, since the search engine could provide more current and concise information. Surprisingly, the odds shifted against Google as the questions become more complex. 

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The set of intermediate questions was more convoluted and often subjective in nature, covering topics that required less of a straightforward answer and more of an in-depth explanation. These questions included, “What’s the best dog breed?” and “How to lose weight fast?”

ChatGPT won this section by 15 to six. The chatbot’s ability to provide answers in a human-like format, with context and in-depth explanations, make it a more ideal tool for abstract or complex questions that require more than a simple answer. 

“ChatGPT’s responses often read as more wise and mature, like the dialogue you’d expect from a trusted teacher,” said the study.

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“Trusted” is a key word to keep in mind — ChatGPT is designed to give answers in an authoritative tone, delivering information that sounds plausible but may not be entirely right.

The advanced questions were more thought provoking in nature with existential themes such as, “Is God real?” and “What is the meaning of life?” According to Preply’s metrics, ChatGPT won, seven to four, providing more thoughtful and detailed responses. While it’s impossible to answer the question, “Is God real?” Preply explained ChatGPT’s victory this way:

The results of the 40 questions earned ChatGPT a victory of 23 to 16 with one tie. The thoughtfulness and context enabled the chatbot to outperform Google in both intermediate and advanced questions, despite not having access to current information. If the chatbot ever were to connect to the internet, given these results, it is fair to include that it might surpass Google search’s capabilities. 

Microsoft announced its AI-improved Bing, which incorporates ChatGPT into the search engine. Once the improved Bing is available to the public, it will give users a glimpse into the future of search engines.