2 Different generative AI options
There are many generative AI tools available. Some are free, some need you to create an account for, and some are subscription-based. Below, we have outlined the most common generative AI tools that are either freely-available or are available for enrolled RMIT students.
Note that inclusion on this page is not an endorsement by RMIT.
Tools and models
It’s important to understand the difference between generative AI ‘models’ and ‘tools’.
The model is the neural network, the artificial intelligence ‘engine’.
- Large language models are models that produce text (and code) in response to text prompts. The common ones are:
- ‘GPT-3.5’, released in November 2022, was produced by OpenAI.
- ‘GPT-4’, also from OpenAI, was released in March 2023 and is more powerful than GPT-3.5.
- ‘PaLM 2’ is a model from Google.
- Other models that produce images in response to text prompts are based on ‘diffusion’ models. There are many implementations of these models in different tools.
- There are other models that can produce outputs such as video and audio.
The tool is the software that you use. For example:
- RMIT University’s Val, released in February 2024, uses the GPT-4 model.
- ChatGPT 3.5 (Free) uses the GPT-3.5 model.
- ChatGPT 4 (Plus) uses the GPT-4 model.
- Bing Chat uses the GPT-4 model when put in ‘creative mode’, and uses the GPT-3.5 model otherwise, along with other models.
- DALL-E uses a diffusion model to generate images.
AI tools
Text-based generative AI tools include:
| Tool and link | Cost and access | Sources | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Val from RMIT University | Free to use for RMIT students and staff | Training data cut-off in September 2021 | Runs on the GPT-4 model. Wide reasoning ability with wide general capability, including enhanced conversational and feedback capabilities compared with the free version of ChatGPT. Information and data inputted into the tool remains secure within the RMIT environment. |
| ChatGPT from OpenAI | Free OpenAI account needed | Training data cut-off in January 2022 | Wide reasoning ability and general capability. Runs on the GPT-3.5 model. |
| Bing Chat from Microsoft | Available without an account. Free Microsoft account provides longer completions and more chat turns. | Training data cut-off in 2021, has access to live internet | Runs on the GPT-4 model when set to ‘creative mode’. |
| Gemini from Google | Free Google account needed | Training data cutoff not public knowledge, has access to live internet | Wide general capability. Runs PaLM 2 model. |
| Perplexity.ai from Perplexity | Basic functionality is available without an account. Paid ‘pro’ version is available with access to more powerful features. | GPT-3.5 with internet access | Like ChatGPT, but provides information from actual sources across the internet. |
| Claude from Anthropic | Limited free version, paid Pro version | Training data cut-off December 2022 | The free version works in a similar way to ChatGPT |
AI tools useful for research include:
| Tool and link | Cost and access | Sources | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elicit.org from Ought | Free account needed | GPT-3.5 with searches of scholarly articles via Semantic Scholar | Searches scholarly articles using natural language queries, and extracts information from articles using GPT models to present summaries and other findings |
| Semantic Scholar | Free account needed | Semantic Scholar covers disciplines including biology, medicine, computer science, geography, business, history, and economics. More than 200 million papers are sourced from partners | Searches scholarly articles using natural language queries, and extracts information from articles using GPT models to present summaries and other findings |
| Research Rabbit | Free account needed | Data sources are not disclosed, however searches scholarly articles via Semantic Scholar | Data visualisation to track sources / citation mapping |
Image generating AI tools include:
| Tool and Link | Cost and access | Features |
|---|---|---|
| DALL-E 2 by OpenAI | Free account needed | Generates images |
| Firefly by Adobe | Free account needed | Generates images and text effects |
| Bing Image Creator by Microsoft | Free account needed | Generates images, powered by DALL-E |
| Stable Diffusion by StabilityAI | Free account needed | Create descriptive images with shorter prompts and generate words within images |
Audio generating AI tools include:
| Tool and Link | Cost and access | Features |
|---|---|---|
| ElevenLabs | Free access limited to 10,000 characters and three custom voices per month. Account needed. | Generate audio in the voice of any accent and person. |
| Soundraw | Free account needed. Paid account allows for wider and further usage. | Generate royalty-free music clips. |
Code generating AI tools include:
| Tool and Link | Cost and access | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Jupyter AI from JupyterLabs | Free installation | A tool available on the current Jupyter Notebook platform that is able to generate code based on text input. |
Paid tools
Below for reference are some of the key AI tools which require payment via a monthly subscription.
| Tool and Link | Cost and access | Sources | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT 4 from OpenAI | Paid subscription, OpenAI account needed | Training data cut-off in April 2023, has access to live internet via plugins | Enhanced reasoning with reduced hallucinations. Can access the GPT-4 model. |
| Midjourney by Midjourney Inc | Paid subscription, accessed through Discord only | Not disclosed, but thought to be trained on a very large set of images from across the internet | Considered one of the more powerful image generation AI tools available currently |
| scite | Paid subscription, account needed | Has been developed by analysing more than 25 million scientific articles | Multiple features, including analysis of research articles and how they are cited |
