Free Generative AI Chat Tools

Important Precautions

Entering sensitive data into generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools, such as chatbots, software, and plugins, can pose security and privacy risks. Such information, once entered into an AI tool, could be stored and potentially exposed.

The Information Technology and Analytics division advises the campus community to avoid entering personal, confidential, or proprietary data into Generative AI tools unless adequate data protection measures are in place. Sharing such information could result in unintended access by third parties.

Examples of sensitive or internal information include:

  • Personally Identifiable Information (PII): Full names, addresses, social security numbers
  • Student Academic Information: Grades, evaluations, or records affecting student privacy and academic integrity
  • Financial Details: Bank accounts, credit card numbers, transaction data
  • Health Records: Personal medical information, health records
  • Login Credentials: Usernames, passwords, PINs, security questions
  • Confidential Academic Work: Unpublished research, patents

Please see this article for more details: https://help.ithaca.edu/TDClient/34/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=1638

Overview of Free AI Chat Tools

AI Tool 

Strengths 

Weaknesses 

ChatGPT 
  • Easy to use for all experience levels. 
  • Engages in detailed conversations, useful for brainstorming and tutoring. 
  • Versatile for writing help and answering questions. 
  • Can read images and perform internet searches. 
  • Supports file uploads in various formats, including PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and text files. 
  • Available on Android and iOS mobile apps. 
  • No account needed but is required to save chat history. 
  • Limited memory; may forget parts of complex conversations. 
  • General knowledge is current until 6/2024. 

 

Claude 
  • Understands context well, great for creative writing. 
  • Supports file uploads in various formats, including PDF, DOCX, CSV, TXT, HTML, ODT (OpenDocument Text). 
  • Available on mobile apps (Android and iOS). 
  • Saves chat history. 
  • Cannot perform internet searches. 
  • Can process images and documents but does not generate images  
  • Daily message limit; account required to use. 

Gemini 
  • Handles text and images, useful for multimedia projects. 
  • Strong data analysis capabilities, ideal for research. 
  • Saves chat history  
  • Can perform internet searches. 
  • Available on mobile apps (Android and iOS). 
  • Limited coding help, basic writing assistance. 
  • Requires internet connection. 
  • Account required to use. 

Copilot 
  • Good for email drafts, grammar, and style improvements.  
  • Can read and create images, perform internet searches.  
  • Supports file uploads in various formats, including PDFs, Word documents (DOCX), and Excel spreadsheets (XLSX). 
  • Available on mobile apps (Android and iOS). 
  • Limited monthly usage. 
  • Requires internet connection; privacy concerns possible but since you will be using your school account it has data protection enterprise. 
  • Suggestions might be inaccurate; fewer customization options. 

 

       Perplexity                               
  • Provides accurate answers to questions. 
  • Clear and concise responses for quick information. 
  • Can read and describe images, perform internet searches. 
  • Supports file uploads in various formats. 
  • Available on mobile apps (Android and iOS). 
  • No account needed but is required to save chat history. 
  • Cannot create images. 
  • Free version limits to 10 file uploads per day. 

 

   Meta         
  • Powerful text generation model for various contexts. 
  • Available on Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger) but also has chatbot system   
  • Can do internet searches on the chatbot system   
  • Can create images and show images from Realtime places like (can redirect to an Instagram account when asked or specific things) on the chatbot system.  
  • No account needed but is required to save chat history. 

 
  • Does not support file uploads (except images). 

Each of these AI tools has its strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different tasks. For the IC community:

  • ChatGPT is great for general conversations/ information and writing help.
  • Claude is good for creative writing and detailed discussions.
  • Gemini excels in multimedia projects and data analysis.
  • Copilot is perfect for coding and programming tasks.
  • Perplexity is useful for quick and accurate information.
  • Meta generates text for various purposes, such as content generation, chatbots, or language understanding tasks. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 
Print Article