Volume the First · Compiled in the Year MMXXVI

A Catalogue of Reasoning Specimens
Observed Conversationally

Five Notable Assistants · Their Forms, Habits, and Particulars
Compiled in the First Quarter ◊ For the Reader's Use
I
n the present catalogue the compiler has set down, in plain hand, the chief particulars of five assistants now generally encountered in everyday use. Each entry is given a folio number, a vulgar name, a Latinised name, and a short description following the convention of the natural-history catalogues. The reader is invited to compare the specimens at leisure, not to seek any verdict from this volume, which expresses none.
I.
Cat. 01

Claude.

Folio I · Anthropic
Anthropica reflectiva
HouseAnthropic
HabitConversational
FamilyClaude 4 series
Free TierYes
Paid TierFrom ~$20 / mo
Developer APIDocumented

Found principally on the screen of the writer and the careful reader. Its habit is the long sentence and the considered paragraph. The specimen comes in three varieties, namely Sonnet, Opus, and Haiku, each suited to a different burden of work. The conversational register is measured and explanatory. A developer interface is provided by the same maker for those who wish to cultivate the specimen within their own apparatus.

The specimen does not generate images in its own chamber, nor does it speak aloud. Its strengths are in the written reply and in extended reasoning.
II.
Cat. 02

ChatGPT.

Folio II · OpenAI
Openaia generalis
HouseOpenAI
HabitConversational
FamilyGPT series
Free TierYes
Paid TierFrom ~$20 / mo
Developer APIDocumented

The most widely encountered of the genus, and likely the first specimen the reader will have met. Combines in one chamber the faculties of writing, of image generation, and of advanced voice mode, by which the specimen converses aloud with its interlocutor. A developer interface is provided for those building apparatus of their own.

Notable for its breadth of features and the scale of its audience. The voice mode is frequently remarked upon by those who have employed it.
III.
Cat. 03

Gemini.

Folio III · Google
Googlea integrata
HouseGoogle
HabitConversational
FamilyGemini series
Free TierYes
Paid TierFrom ~$20 / mo
Developer APIVertex AI

Distinguished by its integration with the wider Google estate, namely Google Workspace and Google Search. The reader who already inhabits this estate will find Documents, Sheets, Mail, and Calendar attended to without leaving the conversation. A live voice mode is provided. The specimen handles text, image, and other inputs in a single conversational chamber.

Where the reader's working day already takes place inside Workspace, this specimen is found close at hand.
IV.
Cat. 04

Copilot.

Folio IV · Microsoft
Microsoftia officia
HouseMicrosoft
HabitEmbedded
FamilyGPT-based
Free TierWeb
Paid Tier~$20 (Pro) · ~$30 (M365)
Developer APIAzure OpenAI

Found chiefly within the Microsoft 365 office suite, namely Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Teams, where the specimen attends to the work already in progress. A free standalone web product is provided. The consumer plan, Copilot Pro, begins at approximately twenty dollars per month, and the enterprise plan, Microsoft 365 Copilot, at approximately thirty dollars per user per month. Developer access is provided through Azure OpenAI.

The specimen is shaped as much by the tenant policies of the enterprise as by the conversation itself. It is found at the desk rather than at the easel.
V.
Cat. 05

Perplexity.

Folio V · Perplexity AI
Perplexia citata
HousePerplexity AI
HabitAnswer engine
FamilyMulti-provider
Free TierYes
Paid TierFrom ~$20 / mo
Developer APIDocumented

Distinguished from the other specimens in this catalogue by the inline source citation, which attends every reply as a row of small numerals leading the reader back to its origins. The Pro tier permits the reader to route a question through a choice of underlying models supplied by several other houses. A developer interface is provided.

Best suited to the reader who wishes to verify a claim and follow it to its source, rather than to be merely told.
Plate the First

A Comparative Tabulation of the Specimens

Trait I. Claude II. ChatGPT III. Gemini IV. Copilot V. Perplexity
Long-form writingstrongstrongsolidsolidsolid
Reasoning depthstrongstrongstrongsolidsolid
Image generationabsentnativeyesyeslimited
Voice modeabsentadvancedliveyesabsent
Source citationyesyesyesyessignature
Code supportstrongstrongsolidsolidsolid
Office integrationpreviewplug-insWorkspaceM365limited
Developer APIyesyesVertexAzureyes
Free tieryesyesyeswebyes
Paid plan~$20~$20~$20~$20~$20
◊ · ◊ · ◊

The compiler holds no opinion as to the rank of the specimens here described, leaving the reader to weigh each by the burden of work that lies before them. Many practitioners keep more than one in their cabinet.

Finis · MMXXVI
Compiled Q1 of MMXXVI from public product pages · All names herein are trademarks of their respective makers
An independent comparison · No sponsorship · No endorsement · For the reader's information only
Capabilities and pricing remain subject to change · The reader is advised to verify with each vendor before relying on this catalogue