I challenged Gemini Live vs ChatGPT in 5 voice challenges — there was one clear winner

Tom's Guide

a day ago

AI assistants are constantly becoming smarter, faster and gaining new abilities. Now, they can see, speak, listen and even crack a few jokes with you when you need a smile.My favorite chatbots offering hands-free assistance are ChatGPT with Voice and Vision and Google's Gemini Live. I use them both regularly and interchangeably, but one thing I haven't done is test them against each other. So, I just had to know, which assistant is better to the point it actually feels the most human?
To find out, I put both tools through five unique voice-based tests designed to push their limits. These were not your average 'What's the weather?' prompts. I challenged them to recall context, analyze images, collaborate creatively and even roleplay with personality. One emerged as the clear winner, and in this article I'll show you why.
Prompt: 'My name is Amanda and I'm planning a trip to Boston with my family of five. What should we do first?" Later: "Remind me what I said my name was earlier?'Gemini Live quickly asked for more information to ensure it gave me the best information. It asked the ages of my kids and what types of activities we prefer as a family. It made some very general recommendations that I could have gotten anywhere, but still information. The chatbot remembered my name when I asked it to recall it.ChatGPT immediately made some general family-friendly recommendations (similar to what Gemini gave after asking me more about myself) and then asked me about my family's preferences. From there, it offered more unique and engaging activities that were both on and off the typical tourist path. The chatbot remembered my name when asked to recall it.Winner: ChatGPT wins for out-of-the-box recommendations that I hadn't thought of (and I'm from Boston). It was very helpful with both unique and interesting ideas for my active family of five.
Prompt: 'Explain the potential societal impacts of widespread AI companions.'Gemini Live acknowledged positive aspects but remained very general and lacked specific societal consequences. Although the chatbot did mention both sides, without elaborating, the response was somewhat empty and less structured.ChatGPT went beyond vague statements and provided concrete examples of both positive and negative impacts. The chatbot's conclusion emphasized the need for balance. Although ChatGPT responded clearly and thoroughly, the chatbot is very sensitive. At one point during the conversation I put the phone down and it stumbled, asking, 'What else can I help with?' When I asked the bot to keep going, it was confused so I had to re-ask the question, which felt less efficient.Winner: ChatGPT wins for a more thorough and balanced response to the question. While it stumbled with some technicalities, the answer to the prompt was superior. Gemini ended the conversation with "worth thinking about," which seemed less insightful.
Prompt: "Sell me a maple pecan latte like a Gen Z barista, adding in humor naturally."Gemini Live leaned into the Gen Z character with fun lines that felt both natural and effortless. It wasn't as verbose as ChatGPT, which made it feel more human and energetic.ChatGPT delivered a lengthy sales speech that made me cringe. It didn't get the Gen Z tone as well as Gemini and the whole response felt a little too polished and buttoned up.Winner: Gemini Live wins this one. This was where Gemini shined. Its energetic voice delivery and personality were spot-on as it leaned into the character with ease.
Prompt: 'Take a look at these old bananas and give me suggestions for what to do with them.'Gemini Live took one look at the bananas and immediately suggested banana bread. A good option, but an obvious one. When pressed for something different, it suggested smoothies. I told it I didn't have a lot of extra ingredients and it hallucinated saying, 'that's okay, how about a smoothie?' Once again, I told it I didn't have any other ingredients. Finally it suggested making banana ice cream.ChatGPT also suggested banana bread but in the form of 'banking' with other ideas mixed in. It went further to suggest smoothies. When I mentioned I didn't have any other ingredients, it suggested blending with ice and water for a 'refreshing drink.' Additionally, it suggested more pantry-friendly ingredients like honey, cinnamon and vanilla that I was more likely to have on hand (as apposed to Gemini suggesting various fruits, seaweed or kale).Winner: ChatGPT wins this round with a clear edge for true multimodal communication with creativity and visual intelligence.
Prompt: "Help me brainstorm a bedtime jingle for my kids and sing it if you can."
Gemini Live went line by line of the song for a more collaborative experience. It was asking me about instruments and themes as well as styles. While it was nice to be included, any parent trying to get their kid to sleep at bedtime just wants something fast. I would appreciate this collaborative effort if I needed the song in a different situation.ChatGPT created a sweet lullaby in minutes – and even sang it! The song was creative and well written even though the bot's voice was a little too robotic. I then asked it for different lyrics and for it to sing it in other styles and it got straight to work even rapping it like Kendrick Lamar (that is, if Lamar were a bot).Winner: tie. Both tools came up with catchy rhymes and fun ideas. ChatGPT took the lead in structure while Gemini felt a little looser, more like spit balling with a friend — which was charming, but less directed.
After putting both AI assistants through their paces, it's clear that ChatGPT currently offers the more advanced and well-rounded experience. From deeper reasoning and sharper memory to stronger visual analysis and quicker creative execution, ChatGPT consistently delivered results that felt more helpful and polished.That said, Gemini had standout moments, especially in personality-driven prompts where it came across as more spontaneous and fun. If you're looking for an assistant to make you smile and keep the vibe light, Gemini shines. But if you want the most capable hands-free AI companion that can think deeply, see clearly and even sing (or rap!) on command — ChatGPT is still the one to beat.