Key Takeaways
- A week-long test pitted five top AI assistants (ChatGPT-4o, Claude Sonnet, Gemini Live, Perplexity, DeepSeek) against each other in daily use.
- ChatGPT-4o was named the overall best for its memory, personalization, and balanced capabilities.
- Gemini Live secured a close second, praised for Google integration and real-time assistance.
- Each AI showcased unique strengths: Claude for nuanced writing, Perplexity for research, and DeepSeek for technical tasks.
- The ideal scenario, according to the test, is still using a mix of AIs tailored to specific needs.
What’s the best AI assistant for juggling a hectic daily schedule? An intensive week-long test, detailed by Tom’s Guide, sought to answer this by pitting five leading AI tools against real-world challenges.
The experiment involved using ChatGPT-4o, Claude Sonnet, Gemini Live, Perplexity, and DeepSeek. Each AI was used exclusively for a full 24 hours, handling tasks from urgent problem-solving to creative brainstorming and managing daily life.
Day one with ChatGPT-4o quickly highlighted its strengths. Its voice and vision features proved invaluable, especially for on-the-go problem-solving like rerouting to a new sports venue while driving. It also excelled at summarizing lengthy group chats from screenshots and offered human-like, creative support for tasks like meal planning, remembering preferences along the way.
Claude Sonnet presented a contrast on the second day. It offered deeply reasoned answers and elegant prose, but sometimes felt overly verbose and less personal. While it struggled with quick, practical queries like directions, Claude excelled at crafting empathetic and nuanced messages, and was highly effective for summarizing complex information.
Gemini Live took the stage on day three. Its speed, visual awareness, and seamless integration with Google services made it excellent for organization and real-time information. It handily suggested dinner alternatives based on fridge contents and even offered calming strategies for tricky bedtimes with kids. Its main drawback was somewhat underwhelming creativity.
Day four’s assistant, Perplexity AI, operated like a no-nonsense research machine. It’s not designed for conversation but shines at delivering fast, factual, source-backed answers. It instantly verified information with citations, efficiently compared products, and summarized news with clarity, effectively cutting through online noise.
DeepSeek, the “dark horse” of the group, impressed on the fifth day. Initially known for creative tasks, it proved highly capable in general assistance. It accurately interpreted a crumpled, handwritten list from a photo to create a shopping checklist with estimated prices and provided detailed, understandable explanations for complex queries, like pet health issues.
So, after a whirlwind week, which AI proved to be the most capable daily partner? ChatGPT-4o emerged as the top choice, with Gemini Live as a strong runner-up. ChatGPT’s ability to remember preferences and tailor its responses made it feel like a truly personal assistant, adapting seamlessly to the user’s needs.
It struck the most effective balance between creative assistance, practical utility, and overall ease of use. Despite this, the experiment highlighted that an ideal approach often involves using multiple AIs. While ChatGPT excelled as an all-rounder, the unique strengths of Claude for nuanced writing, Perplexity for quick facts, and Gemini for integrated workflows mean they all retain a valuable place in the AI toolkit. Ultimately, the best outcome is the flexibility to use them all.
