ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot: A Comparison. Which One to Choose in 2025?

Generative artificial intelligence has evolved from an experiment into a daily tool that is redefining personal and professional productivity. In the current landscape, three giants are vying for supremacy: OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft’s Copilot. Each promises to be the ultimate assistant, but the choice isn’t so straightforward, especially in the Italian and European context, where culture, language, and privacy regulations play a crucial role. This article offers an in-depth comparison to help you choose the tool best suited to your needs, balancing technological innovation with cultural sensitivity.

The adoption of these tools in Italy is already significant: according to data from the Artificial Intelligence Observatory at Politecnico di Milano, 53% of large Italian companies have purchased licenses for solutions like ChatGPT or Copilot. This demonstrates a growing awareness of AI’s potential to optimize workflows. The question is no longer “if” to use an AI assistant, but “which one” to choose to get the most value in a market that blends tradition and innovation.

The Age of AI Giants: Who Are the Contenders?

To understand which AI assistant is the best, it’s essential to know their identity, technology, and the purposes for which they were designed. Although often grouped together, the three models stem from different philosophies that influence their performance and areas of application.

OpenAI and its ChatGPT: The Pioneer

Launched by OpenAI, ChatGPT made conversational artificial intelligence a mass phenomenon. Based on the powerful language models of the GPT series, like the recent GPT-4o, it stands out for its extraordinary ability to generate creative text, converse fluently, and imitate complex writing styles. Its strength lies in its versatility: it’s an excellent companion for brainstorming, content creation, and general problem-solving. Its popularity has made it a benchmark, but the competition has quickly caught up.

Google Gemini: The Multimodal Approach

Gemini, the evolution of Google Bard, was designed from the ground up to be natively multimodal, meaning it can understand and process text, images, audio, and video simultaneously. Leveraging models like Gemini 1.5 Pro, it integrates deeply with the Google ecosystem, from Workspace to online search. This gives it a unique advantage in accessing up-to-date information and contextualizing responses. Its context window, which reaches 1 million tokens in some versions, makes it ideal for analyzing very long documents.

Microsoft Copilot: The Integrated Assistant

Originally Bing Chat and now powered by OpenAI’s models (including GPT-4o), Copilot is Microsoft’s answer to the need for productivity. Its real strength is its deep integration with Windows and the Microsoft 365 suite. Copilot is not just a chatbot, but a true “copilot” that assists the user within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, suggesting formulas, creating presentations, or summarizing long email chains. This makes it an almost indispensable tool for those who work primarily in the Microsoft environment.

Key Feature Comparison

Let’s now analyze the performance of the three AI assistants in specific areas, from logical reasoning to handling non-textual inputs, to understand where each one excels and where it shows limitations.

Choosing an AI assistant is not just a matter of technology, but of finding a partner that understands the nuances of our culture and our way of working.

Reasoning, Creativity, and Problem-Solving

In terms of pure reasoning and textual creativity, the battle is tight. ChatGPT, thanks to its training, is often considered the most “human” and brilliant in creative writing and storytelling. Gemini 1.5 Pro, on the other hand, shows remarkable performance in tasks requiring complex reasoning over large amounts of data. Copilot, leveraging GPT-4o technology, offers performance similar to ChatGPT but with a more pragmatic, productivity-oriented focus. A simple logic test, like figuring out how many cookies are left if you had five today and ate three last week, is correctly solved by all three models, demonstrating a solid ability to understand context.

Multimodality: Beyond Text

Multimodality is where the differences become more apparent. Gemini was built to be multimodal from the start, processing complex inputs like video and audio with greater fluidity. ChatGPT, with the GPT-4o model, has caught up, integrating the ability to process text, audio, and images into a single model. Copilot also supports visual inputs, leveraging DALL-E 3 for image generation, often with results considered superior to Gemini’s in this specific area. For an Italian user, this means being able to ask the AI to describe an image of a monument or translate a photographed menu.

Internet Access and Up-to-Date Information

All three models can access recent information via the internet, but with different approaches. Gemini benefits from direct, real-time integration with Google Search, providing updated answers and citing sources. Copilot relies on Bing and, although effective, can sometimes be slower in providing a response. ChatGPT has its own integrated browsing function that allows it to consult the web to answer questions about recent events. The best choice here depends on a preference for a specific ecosystem (Google or Microsoft) or for a more agnostic solution.

The AI Assistant in the Italian and European Context

An AI assistant cannot be truly effective if it doesn’t understand the cultural and regulatory context in which it operates. For a user in Italy, the ability to understand dialectal expressions or references to tradition is as important as respecting privacy according to European laws.

Understanding Mediterranean Language and Culture

In this area, the quality of localization makes all the difference. All three models handle Italian with excellent proficiency, but the ability to grasp cultural nuances varies. A task like generating a recipe for “pasta alla Norma” or explaining the meaning of “Va, pensiero” from Verdi’s Nabucco can highlight these differences. The breadth of training data and exposure to texts related to Mediterranean culture become determining factors. The goal is to have an assistant that not only translates but also interprets, making the interaction natural and relevant for those who live and work in Italy.

Privacy and GDPR Compliance

For European users and companies, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a non-negotiable aspect. OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft have implemented measures to ensure compliance, offering options for data residency in the EU and data processing agreements (DPAs) for business customers. However, the consumer versions of the services often operate on a “data-first” principle, using conversations to train the models. For professional use involving sensitive data, it is crucial to opt for Enterprise plans, which provide greater control and prevent data from being used for training.

Integration and Productivity: AI at Work

The true value of an AI assistant for many professionals emerges from its ability to integrate into existing workflows. This is where the choice between the three contenders becomes strategic.

Copilot and the Microsoft 365 Ecosystem

For those who live professionally within the Microsoft suite, Copilot is almost a mandatory choice. Its ability to act directly in Outlook to summarize emails, in Excel to analyze data, or in Teams to transcribe meetings is a huge productivity booster. This deep integration transforms the applications that millions of people use every day, making AI a proactive partner rather than a separate tool to consult. To further improve productivity, it can be useful to know keyboard shortcuts for the office.

Gemini and Google Workspace Integration

Similarly, Gemini is the ideal companion for Google Workspace users. AI assistance is available in Gmail for drafting emails, in Google Docs for brainstorming, and in Sheets for creating custom tables. The integration with the entire Google ecosystem, including Search and Google Meet, creates a seamless and connected work experience. If your team primarily collaborates on these platforms, delving into the dynamics of teamwork with Google Workspace can maximize the benefits offered by Gemini.

ChatGPT: The Flexibility of APIs and GPTs

ChatGPT shines for its flexibility as a platform. Although not natively integrated into a productivity suite like its rivals, it offers powerful APIs that allow developers to integrate its capabilities into any application. Furthermore, the GPTs store allows users to create custom versions of ChatGPT, trained for specific tasks. This versatility makes it ideal for companies needing custom AI solutions or for users who want a powerful and customizable tool, as also explored in the guide to OpenAI’s new AI browser.

Costs and Plans: What is Artificial Intelligence Worth?

All three services offer a free access tier, which is often sufficient for occasional use. The paid plans, usually around €20-22 per month, unlock the most powerful models, higher usage limits, and advanced features.

• ChatGPT Plus (~$20/month): Offers access to GPT-4o, image generation with DALL-E, advanced data analysis, and the ability to create and use custom GPTs.
• Gemini Advanced (~€21.99/month): Provides access to the Gemini 1.5 Pro model, a larger context window, and integration into Gmail, Docs, and other Workspace apps. The plan also includes 2TB of Google One storage.
• Copilot Pro (~€22/month): Guarantees priority access to the latest models (like GPT-4o), improved performance, and Copilot integration into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The choice of a paid plan depends strictly on its intended use. For a professional who heavily uses the Office suite, the cost of Copilot Pro is easily justifiable. For those looking for a versatile creative tool, ChatGPT Plus remains a solid choice.

Who Wins? The Choice Based on Your Needs

Ultimately, there is no absolute winner. The choice of the “best” AI assistant is subjective and depends on the use case, personal preferences, and the technological ecosystem in which you operate.

For the Creative and Personal Use

For creative writing, brainstorming ideas, or simply for stimulating conversations, ChatGPT continues to be a benchmark thanks to its fluency and ability to generate text that “sounds” human. Its clean interface and vast user community make it accessible and fun to use.

For the Professional and the Business Team

Here, the choice comes down to the ecosystem. Professionals working with Microsoft 365 will find an irreplaceable ally for productivity in Copilot. Those who operate in the Google Workspace environment will benefit more from the deep integration of Gemini. Both are designed to optimize business workflows and enhance collaboration.

For the Student and the Researcher

Gemini proves to be particularly powerful in this area. Its ability to analyze very long documents (thanks to its large context window) and its direct, up-to-date access to Google Search make it an excellent tool for summarizing scientific articles, gathering sources, and analyzing data.

Conclusions

The challenge between ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot doesn’t have a single winner, but three champions specializing in different arenas. ChatGPT remains the king of creativity and conversational versatility. Copilot establishes itself as the undisputed champion of productivity within the Microsoft ecosystem. Gemini emerges as the most powerful data and information analyst, deeply integrated into the Google world. For the Italian and European user, the final choice will depend on a careful assessment of their work needs, the required cultural sensitivity, and the privacy guarantees offered. Artificial intelligence is redesigning our relationship with technology, and choosing the right partner is the first step to successfully navigating this revolution.

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