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Which AI should I use to research a topic?

For research you want an AI that searches the web and shows sources, not one that answers from memory. Perplexity is the fastest, while Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude can write you a full report with citations.

Which AI does this best

  1. Perplexity
    AI assistantFree plan
    #1

    Every answer comes with numbered sources you can click, and it's fast. Use it for quick questions and to see what's out there. Deep Research and longer reports are limited on the free plan.

    ✦ Try this prompt
    Research [topic] for me. I need: a 5-sentence summary, the 3 most important recent developments (last 12 months) with dates, key numbers with their sources, where experts disagree, and 5 sources worth reading in full. Prefer [official / academic / industry] sources and say if something is only reported by one source.
    Open Perplexity ↗
  2. Gemini
    AI assistantFree plan
    #2

    Deep Research reads dozens of pages and writes a long report with citations, and it's available free with limits. It can also summarise YouTube videos. Reports can be long and padded, so ask for a summary at the top.

    ✦ Try this prompt
    Do deep research on [question]. Start with a one-paragraph answer, then: background, the main facts with numbers, different viewpoints, open questions, and a list of sources. Focus on [country / industry / time period]. Flag anything that's uncertain or contradicted by other sources.
    Open Gemini ↗
  3. ChatGPT
    AI assistantFree plan
    #3

    Its deep research is thorough and good at pulling scattered information into a clear structure. Watch for confident claims and check the key ones against the sources it links.

    ✦ Try this prompt
    Research [topic] and write a report for someone who [knows nothing about it / needs to make a decision about X]. Include a summary, a comparison table of [options / companies / approaches], pros and cons, costs where available, and links for each claim. Ask me 2-3 clarifying questions before you start.
    Open ChatGPT ↗
  4. Claude
    AI assistantFree plan
    #4

    Best for reading what you already have: upload long PDFs, reports or contracts and ask questions across them. Its web Research mode cites sources too, but it's slower than Perplexity for quick lookups.

    ✦ Try this prompt
    I've uploaded [number] documents about [topic]. Read all of them and give me: the main points of each in 3 bullets, where they agree and disagree, numbers I should know, and what's missing that I should research next. Quote the exact passage when you make a claim.
    Open Claude ↗

Specialised tools

  1. NotebookLM
    Free

    Upload your own PDFs, notes or YouTube links and ask questions about them. It'll also turn them into a podcast-style audio summary.

    Open NotebookLM ↗
  2. Consensus
    Free plan

    Searches peer-reviewed papers only and shows how many studies support a claim. Handy for health, science or education questions. The free plan has a monthly limit on its deeper searches.

    Open Consensus ↗

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