By the Numbers: These are the best AI tools for marcomm tasks, according to Edelman

New AI tools seem to pop up, mushroom-like, on a daily basis. Taking the time to figure out which of this colony of tools is best for which task can feel like way more work than just doing the tasks by hand.

At PR Daily, we’ve put several AI tools through their paces. Now Edelman is out with a new report that does the same, putting major LLMs Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, Writer, Claude and Gemini through their own tests.

The results? No one tool dominates, though the big three – Copilot, ChatGPT and Gemini – all turn in strong performances, with different strengths.

Here’s what the Edelman report found.

The best AI tool for writing

The big three tools finished in a dead heat in the writing category, Edelman found. ChatGPT Enterprise was best at processing large amounts of information, making it a solid choice for more in-depth writing needs. Gemini, thanks to its integration with Google, was adept at pulling the last recent information to inform the piece. And Copilot’s integration with Microsoft helped the AI tool maintain a consistent brand voice across its copy, as it had reams of data to pull from across the Microsoft 365 suite.

This test shows the importance of the tools’ parent companies. Both Copilot and Gemini had a leg up because of their broader connections to the tech ecosphere – something that can be difficult for startups to compete with.

The best AI tool for research

Given the first test’s results, it’s not surprising Gemini also scored strongly in the research category, in this case earning kudos for its ability to not only retrieve but prioritize information it gleans from Google’s giant search engine.. It shared the podium with Copilot, thanks again to its ability to access and return data from within Microsoft 365 products.

The best AI tool for ideation

AI can be a solid tool for looking past our own biases and getting the big picture. Copilot again took a nod in the category, this time sharing the spotlight with ChatGPT. Both tools excelled at looking at the full scope of the conversation, using  past interactions to provide better outputs, more similar to how a real brainstorming partner might act. Edelman’s testers also enjoyed the ease of natural language prompting and the ability to integrate – there’s that word again – with existing workflow tools across the organization.

The best AI tool for synthesis

Edelman defines synthesis as “recalling specific data points from extensive information sets and transforming this data to create informative, easily-understood summaries.” Both Copilot and ChatGPT excelled in this arena, taking the most important ideas from dense text, which made them both an able partner for transforming those ideas into other materials, like press releases or campaigns. Copilot’s integrations allowed it the deepest well to draw from for its synthesis.

The best AI tool for design

Design was the only category with a clear winner, no double-podium here. Thanks to its use of DALL-E 3, ChatGPT stood head and shoulders above the rest, Edelman found. They praised the tool for its ability to interpret prompts precisely, expand on creative briefs and feed existing workflows.

The best AI tool for analysis

Analysis in this case means processing data to draw insights. This was the first and only category in which upstart Writer earned special praise. “Writer transforms raw data into coherent and relevant narratives, producing detailed reports and summaries that highlight key insights and trends,” the report says.

Meanwhile, ChatGPT shined when it was asked to do sentiment analysis, such as press coverage or social media. Copilot was at its best when it could use its integrations, such as with Excel or Power BI, to feed its work.

The bottom line

The major AI players currently are the best, this analysis found. Microsoft’s existing dominance in the tech industry means that it’s already so deeply embedded into most people’s work lives that Copilot just adds a new layer of depth and ease to tools most of us already know. ChatGPT made “generative AI” a household phrase and continues to raise the bar. Gemini’s writing abilities and access to Google’s massive search engine data stockpile make it a formidable player. But the other tools may not be ready for enterprise-level use just yet.

These are early days yet for generative AI. More changes will come; tools will rise and fall in ability and popularity. Continue to experiment and monitor the horizon for new trends and changes.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.