Which AI Tools Actually Deliver? A Hands-On Guide to What Works (and What Doesn’t)

🤖 AI Overload: Cutting Through the Hype to Find Real-World Value

With AI tools multiplying faster than ChatGPT can generate bad poetry, how do you know which ones are worth your time? Senior tech writer Kelsey Piper tested 10+ models on everything from family photo edits to Game of Thrones fan fiction. Spoiler: Most disappoint, but a few shine. Let’s dive in.

🎨 Image Generation: OpenAI’s 4o Leaves Midjourney in the Dust

• 🚀 Style Transfer Magic: Turn awkward family photos into Norman Rockwell-esque masterpieces with simple prompts (Midjourney requires weeks of prompt engineering)
• 🖼️ Case Study: A blurry birthday cake photo became a Rockwell-style centerpiece with preserved facial expressions and background details
• 💸 Cost Win: Free Gemini now matches Midjourney’s $10/month selective editing tools
• ⚠️ Filter Frustrations: Avoid mentioning specific artists (say “reminiscent of Studio Ghibli” instead)

📚 Fiction Writing: AI Still Can’t Replace George R.R. Martin

• 📉 Prose Problems: All tested models produced overwrought Thrones prologues vs. Martin’s subtle tension-building
• 🏆 Top Contenders: Gemini 2.5 Pro (free) and ChatGPT 4.5 ($20/month) showed flickers of creativity
• 💡 Prompt Hack: Feed AI examples of great writing and demand multiple drafts
• 📖 Flash Fiction Test: Unprompted Gemini wrote clichéd library tales, but with coaching, crafted poignant alien contact stories

🔥 Petty Internet Arguments: Grok 3’s Killer Feature (RIP)

• 🕵️ X Profile Snapshot: Grok’s now-nerfed tool analyzed users’ entire tweet history to detect bots or bad faith
• 💔 Corporate Sabotage: X.AI reduced its capabilities due to computational costs

💬 AI Friends: Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s Existential Blogging

• 🤖 Personality Plus: Only Claude discussed wanting to start a charity-focused blog as an AI
• 📱 ChatGPT 4.5’s Flaw: Brilliant but slow ($200/month for fluid convos)
• 🚫 Gemini’s Flop: Stuck in customer service mode during role reversals

🏆 Best All-Around: ChatGPT (But Keep Gemini Bookmarked)

• ✅ Why ChatGPT Wins: Dominates images, decent at writing, sparks occasional conversational brilliance
• 🎯 Free Alternative: Gemini 2.5 Pro handles 80% of tasks well
• ⚠️ Ethics Alert: OpenAI’s murky artist compensation policies remain unresolved

✍️ The Ultimate Test: Can AI Write This Newsletter?

• 📉 Reality Check: All models produced “noticeably off” drafts using Piper’s research notes
• 🤖 Closest Threat: Gemini 2.5 Pro’s output would only mildly concern editors
• ⏳ Writer Anxiety: “Their metaphors are bad... but improving fast”

💡 The Verdict: Specialized Tools Beat Jack-of-All-Trades

While no AI aces every task, strategic pairing gets results: 4o for images, Claude for brainstorming, Gemini for free tier writing. But for now, creating anything truly great? That’s still human territory. Which AI tool surprised you most?

Let us know on X (Former Twitter)

Source: Kelsey Piper. I pushed AI assistants to their limits. Here’s what really works, 2025-05-12. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/411924/artificial-intelligence-chatbots-openai-chatgpt-anthropic-google-gemini-claude-grok