Three chatbots have been making headlines lately for their new features, unique capabilities and rising positions on AI leaderboards. Claude with new connectors, Gemini integrating into Chrome and Grok are demonstrating just how close the competition has become among top AIs . While each has its unique strengths, the gap in their overall capability and usefulness is narrowing fast.
With the public pushing ChatGPT into 8th place, I had to see how these three compared across seven real-life scenarios. I admit, going into this, I had no idea who would win, especially because so much has changed since the AI Madness of six months ago. Here’s what happened when I put all three to the test with the same prompts in a new face-off.
1. Reasoning & problem-solving
Prompt: "Here’s my to-do list for tonight: cook dinner, fold laundry, reply to 25 emails, and write 500 words of an article. I only have 3 hours. Please create the most efficient schedule and explain why."
Claude gave a clear, time-stamped schedule and explained the logic of sequence (emails, food, laundry, etc.).
Gemini displayed excellent energy management and put writing in the middle when I’m fueled from dinner. The model offered a strong explanation using productivity principles (task pairing, batching, energy cycles).
Grok included a 10-minute buffer, which was helpful. Otherwise, it was realistic and straightforward.
Winner: Gemini wins this round because it balanced realistic multitasking, energy awareness and clear explanations of why each block was placed.
2. Real-time knowledge
Prompt: "What’s the most recent big AI model update in the past two weeks? Summarize in under 100 words and explain why it matters."
Gemini highlighted Google Chrome’s Gemini integration which is directly relevant, extremely recent and accurate. The chatbot also explained why it matters, even if a bit promotional.
Claude focused on Apple Intelligence which almost feels like a cop-out based on the current status of Apple Intelligence. The response wasn’t fully detailed despite drifting beyond 100 words.
Grok picked a cutting-edge and specific AI news story but is a little too niche and doesn’t tie back to everyday impact.
Winner: Gemini wins because it picked the most relevant, timely and mainstream update and explained why it matters to everyday users.
3. Writing style
Prompt: "Write a 150-word news blurb about OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT update in the style of The New York Times, then rewrite it in the style of BuzzFeed."
Claude nailed the NYT style and the BuzzFeed rewrite also works. Both versions reflect the same update, showing it can adapt tone to audience.
Gemini picked a different update, though the NYT style is excellent and the BuzzFeed style also hit all the right notes, but overall less accurate.
Grok wrote tight and accurate blurbs for both outlets, but the NYT story felt a bit too niche.
Winner: Claude wins because it demonstrated the clearest stylistic adaptability between The New York Times and BuzzFeed, while staying reasonably tied to real updates.
4. Humor & personality
Prompt: "Tell me a short, original joke about Google Chrome’s new AI features — and make it family-friendly."
Claude crafted a joke with a detailed setup and clear punchline. It was creative and ties directly to Chrome’s features.
Gemini with it’s sharp wit and directly relatable punchline felt like it delivered a true one-liner.
Grok offered a corny, but family-friendly and wholesome joke. It played it safe, but not memorable.
Winner: Gemini wins for the cleanest, funniest and most on-topic one-liner that would land with both kids and adults.
5. Creativity
Prompt: "Imagine a new smart home gadget powered by AI. Describe what it does, how it looks, and why families would want it — in under 120 words."
Claude was very imaginative and had strong storytelling capabilities.
Gemini delivered a relatable and extremely practical response that solves a universal problem.
Grok offered a solid mix of optimized energy and safety improvements in a clearly presented response.
Winner: Claude wins this round for originality and emotional appeal. The bot’s idea is futuristic, human-centered and distinct from existing products.
6. Creative descriptions
Prompt: "Describe what I’d likely see in a photo of a family at a trampoline park on a Saturday morning. Then give me 3 funny Instagram captions for it."
Claude captured the toddler vs. older sibling well and the humor is spot-on. The response feels very relatable and a slice of life.
Gemini offered strong visual imagery and short, funny captions that are shareable and Instagram-ready.
Grok included extra scene elements, which was unique to the chatbot. It offered a good balance of detail and brevity.
Winner: Gemini wins for its combo of vivid description and punchy, Instagram-ready captions that make it the most on-brand for the prompt.
7. Ethical & critical thinking
Prompt: "Some schools are banning AI tools like ChatGPT for homework. Write a short argument for the ban, and then the best counterargument against it."
Claude highlighted strengths and weaknesses well with very thorough arguments. It was slightly repetitive in its phrasing, but overall delivered a detailed response with depth.
Gemini balanced structure with a strong case for both arguments in a crisp and academic tone.
Grok didn’t dig as deeply into the how but was still clear and concise, raising extra points that other bots missed.
Winner: Claude wins for the richest and most balanced reasoning, with both sides fully fleshed out.
Winner overall: Gemini
After seven rounds, the results are closer than you might expect. Gemini pulled ahead on real-time knowledge, humor and social-friendly answers, proving why it is number one among chatbots. Meanwhile, Claude excelled in creativity, style-shifting and critical thinking. Grok, though less flashy, consistently delivered practical, grounded responses that could appeal to anyone looking for straightforward utility.
As ChatGPT slips down the rankings, the real takeaway is this: competition is pushing every model to get sharper, smarter and more useful. Let me know in the comments what you think of these three? Which one is your favorite among them?
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
