March AI Reality Check: All AI is Not the Same

It can seem like all of the chatbots and their AI models are the same, but in recent months we’re starting to see some real differences emerge. Each of the companies that publish these models is providing them in very different packages, that show where they think the market is going. ChatGPT, still the market leader, continues to pack more and more capabilities into their AI model itself, with real but limited tool connections. Claude, on the other hand, has focused on a mini ecosystem of products and tools to make their model more useful, including Claude Code, Claude Cowork, Skills and Plugins, among other things. And Gemini, probably the most advanced of the models overall, barely connects to anything as a chatbot, but is now embedded across Google’s ecosystem of email, productivity software, browser and search.

In 2026, we’re going to see these strategies play out more and more, and time will tell which of them really connects with everyday, non-expert users who just want to get things done.