ChatGPT vs Gemini vs DeepSeek

- What's the difference and which should I use?

The three core AI models—ChatGPT, Gemini and DeepSeek—are reshaping work and daily life with unique strengths. Launched by U.S.-based OpenAI in November 2022, ChatGPT is the first widely used generative AI, becoming a flagship via natural conversation and versatile task performance. Hangzhou-based Chinese firm DeepSeek Inc. was founded in July 2023, releasing its first language model DeepSeek LLM in January 2024. It rose globally fast with open-source strategies and high cost-effectiveness. Google launched Gemini in December 2023, excelling in seamless integration with its existing tools. All support multilingual interaction but differ: ChatGPT leads in creative content and conversational fluency (ideal for copywriting, language learning); Gemini links with Google Search/Gmail for real-time info and work efficiency; DeepSeek’s 2024 open-source DeepSeek-V2 matches GPT-4 Turbo’s performance at 1% of the cost, thanks to China’s strong engineering and flexible R&D for rapid mass production and bypassing some restrictions.

AI has been deeply integrated into diverse scenarios of life and work, bringing great convenience to people’s daily lives. In the workplace, it can assist in programming debugging, image generation and video editing; in the medical field, it can also support basic medical consultation and medical record sorting. In daily life, AI acts as a highly efficient information integration assistant: unlike the fragmented results from traditional search engines, it can interpret questions in a straightforward way and output structured answers. For example, it can generate low-salt and low-fat recipes based on dietary preferences, compare the practicality and price differences of mobility scooters from different brands, accurately calculate the nutritional components and calories of food, and even help organize family photo albums and create holiday greeting messages. However, strict precautions must be taken when using AI. First, guard against "AI hallucination"—the phenomenon where AI fabricates false information in a plausible manner. Coined by computer scientist Stephen Thaler in 1995, this concept has now become a common flaw of generative AI, manifesting in forms such as making up literature titles and fictional facts. Second, never rely entirely on AI outputs; it is essential to verify key information personally and serve as the first line of defense for content accuracy. Third, attach great importance to privacy security: most AI systems have a conversation memory function, and some data may be shared with developers. Never input sensitive information such as ID numbers, health records and financial details to avoid privacy leaks. As emphasized in the book Privacy Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, technological convenience and risk prevention must advance in tandem for AI to truly serve life.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my series.

Emily Zhang

Beijing, China

References:

WSJ: I Have Over 16,000 Unread Emails. Gmail’s New AI W ants to Help.

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AjW_3pzQY5XtOCQyp5fMIg

https://github.com/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/technology/what-is-deepseek-china-ai.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucination_(artificial_intelligence)

‍

中文版本：

当前人工智能领域的三大核心模型——ChatGPT、Gemini与DeepSeek，凭借各自优势重塑着人们的工作与生活。ChatGPT由美国OpenAI公司于2022年11月推出，是首个在全球广为运用的生成式AI（Generative AI），凭借流畅自然的对话能力和多样化的任务处理表现，迅速成为该领域的代表性产品。紧随其后，中国杭州深度求索人工智能基础技术研究有限公司（DeepSeek）于2023年7月成立， 并于2024年1月推出其首个语言模型DeepSeek LLM，凭借开源策略和高性价比快速跻身全球前列。最后，谷歌（Google）于2023年12月推出Gemini，其最大优势在于与谷歌现有工具的有机融合。这三大模型均支持多语种交互，但也有显著差异：ChatGPT在创意内容生成与对话流畅度上表现突出，尤其适合文案创作、语言学习等场景；Gemini的主要优势是能够与谷歌搜索、邮箱等常用工具联动，方便用户获取实时信息并提升办公效率；DeepSeek则以“高性价比”著称，其2024年5月开源的DeepSeek-V2模型性能比肩GPT-4 Turbo，价格却仅为后者的百分之一，这得益于中国强大的工程化落地能力与灵活的研发机制，使其能快速实现技术量化生产，规避部分市场限制。

AI已深度融入生活与工作的多元场景，为人们的日常生活提供诸多便利。工作场景中，它们可辅助编程调试、图像生成、视频剪辑，在医学领域还能协助基础问诊、整理病历。生活场景中，AI更是高效的信息整合助手，相较于传统搜索引擎的碎片化结果，它能直白解读问题并输出结构化答案：例如根据饮食偏好生成低盐低脂食谱、对比不同品牌代步车的实用性与价格差异、精准计算食物营养成分及热量，甚至能协助整理家庭相册、生成节日祝福文案。然而，AI使用需严守风险防线。首先要警惕“AI幻觉”（Hallucination），即AI一本正经地编造虚假信息——这一概念最早由计算机科学家斯蒂芬·塞勒于1995年提出，如今已演变为生成式AI的通病，表现为捏造文献名称、虚构事实等。其次，不可完全依赖AI输出，需亲自核查关键信息，做好内容准确性的第一道防线。最后，需重视隐私安全，多数AI具备对话记忆功能，部分数据可能与开发者共享，切勿输入身份证号、健康档案、财务信息等敏感内容，避免隐私泄露。正如《人工智能时代的隐私保护》一书中强调的，技术便利与风险防控需同步推进，才能让AI真正服务于生活。

‍