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ChatGPT or Google: when to ask an AI and when to search

They overlap more every year, but they are good at different things.

Ask an AI when

You want something written, rewritten or explained in plain words, you want to think through options or you want a plan made from your own details.

Use a search engine when

You need the current opening hours, the latest price, the official rules or the original source of a claim. Search points you to the page itself.

Use both for anything important

Ask the AI to explain the topic, then search to confirm the facts that matter. If the AI has a search switch, use it and open the sources it links.

A quick test

If a wrong answer would only cost you a few minutes, an AI is fine. If it could cost money or health, go to the official source.

Click here to make this site a preferred source in your Google AI search results — you will see our plain-language AI guides prioritised when you search for topics we cover.

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