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Nik L.
Nik L.

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Claude 3.5 Sonnet vs. GPT-4o

In this case study, I’ll explore a detailed comparison between these two AI models, based on their performance, pricing, and specific use cases, drawing insights from community feedback, benchmarks, and personal experience.


Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Intelligent and Human-like

What is Claude?

Claude is an AI assistant developed by Anthropic, with an emphasis on ethical and human-like interactions. It’s powered by a large language model, and its development was influenced by former OpenAI members. Claude’s “Constitutional AI” approach aims to provide AI that is more aligned with human values.

Claude’s Key Features:

  • Claude 3.5 Sonnet is considered the most intelligent in the Claude 3.5 family, excelling in logical reasoning and handling creative tasks.
  • The model is designed for tasks such as summarization, research, writing, and decision-making.
  • Claude 3.5 is free for use with limited features, but users can upgrade to paid plans for extended functionality.

Usage Insights:
Claude 3.5 Sonnet shines in areas requiring human-like interactions and creative solutions. For instance, in personal tests, it generated highly creative and non-generic responses to prompts.

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However, it lags slightly in specialized areas such as mathematical problem-solving and complex reasoning, where it shows lower accuracy than GPT-4o.

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GPT-4o: Omni-Capable and Fast

What is GPT-4o?

GPT-4o is OpenAI’s latest AI model, offering a versatile approach to processing various types of input—text, audio, image, and video. The "o" in GPT-4o stands for "omni," underscoring its multimodal capabilities. This model is trained to handle complex tasks, from advanced reasoning to problem-solving across diverse domains.

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GPT-4o’s Key Features:

  • GPT-4o excels in providing fast and accurate responses across different media types, including audio and video.
  • It supports complex problem-solving in fields like math, science, and coding, making it ideal for tasks that require deep analytical thinking.
  • It is available through OpenAI’s ChatGPT subscription service at $20/month, with API access priced at $2.50 per million tokens.

Usage Insights:
For complex tasks, GPT-4o’s performance outshines many competitors. In benchmarks, GPT-4o scored higher in areas like mathematical problem-solving, reasoning, and speed. It’s particularly useful for users requiring fast responses and multi-input-output capabilities.


Benchmarking the Models: Key Comparisons

1. Graduate-Level Reasoning (GPQA, Diamond Benchmark):

The GPQA benchmark evaluates AI's ability to handle graduate-level reasoning.

  • Claude 3.5 Sonnet: 59.4% accuracy on zero-shot CoT tasks.
  • GPT-4o: 53.6% accuracy on zero-shot CoT tasks.

Conclusion: Claude 3.5 Sonnet excels in graduate-level reasoning.

2. Math Problem-Solving (MATH Benchmark):

In complex math problem-solving, GPT-4o performs better.

  • Claude 3.5 Sonnet: 71.1% accuracy on zero-shot CoT.
  • GPT-4o: 76.6% accuracy on zero-shot CoT.

Conclusion: GPT-4o is superior for math-heavy tasks.

3. Latency and Speed:

Speed and latency are crucial for real-time applications.

  • GPT-4o: Average latency is 24% faster than Claude 3.5 Sonnet.
  • Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Slightly slower, with longer time to first token and fewer output tokens.

Conclusion: GPT-4o leads in speed and responsiveness.

4. Accuracy in Contextual Understanding:

To test contextual accuracy, I compared the models' ability to respond to a prompt about “Pwn Request for GitHub Actions.”

  • Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Provided an incorrect response.
  • GPT-4o: Correctly identified it as a vulnerability.

Conclusion: GPT-4o is more accurate in delivering contextually relevant answers.

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Pricing Comparison

Claude 3.5 Sonnet:

  • Free version available with usage limits (around 10 prompts).
  • Paid API pricing: $3 per million tokens for input, $15 per million tokens for output.
  • Claude Pro plan: $18 per month for additional features.

GPT-4o (via OpenAI):

  • ChatGPT Plus: $20/month for full access.
  • API pricing: $2.50 per million tokens for input.

Conclusion:

Claude offers more flexibility in terms of cost for basic use, while GPT-4o is more suited for professionals needing high-level capabilities and rapid output.


Final Thoughts: Which Model to Choose?

  • Choose Claude 3.5 Sonnet if:

    You need an AI that offers creative and human-like responses. It’s ideal for tasks requiring empathy, conversation, and logical problem-solving, such as writing, brainstorming, and summarizing content.

  • Choose GPT-4o if:

    You need a high-performance AI for complex tasks involving math, coding, and advanced reasoning. GPT-4o is more robust for professionals dealing with intricate, multi-modal tasks and real-time applications.

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