OpenAI Playground vs. ChatGPT: What's the Difference?

These AI tools are made by the same organization, but they have different purposes

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on May 20, 2024

OpenAI Playground and ChatGPT have a lot in common because they were both developed by the same artificial intelligence (AI) research organization. They both use similar generative AI models, but the main difference is that ChatGPT is designed for use by the general public while OpenAI Playground is more geared toward developers who want to experiment with OpenAI’s various AI technologies.

OpenAI Playground vs ChatGPT

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Overall Findings

OpenAI Playground

  • Web-based interface that allows users to choose between several AI models.

  • Responds to prompts based on the model chosen by the user.

  • Primarily used by developers and researchers to test different AI models.

  • Users can train and fine-tune the available machine learning models using their own datasets. 

  • Highly customizable, with options to adjust variables like randomness and length of responses.

  • Free to use, but some features require payment.

ChatGPT

  • Web-based interface that allows the user to enter prompts using natural language.

  • Responds to prompts using natural language in a conversational manner.

  • Engages in conversations, answers questions, and performs tasks based on user input.

  • Capable of taking user preferences and other inputs into consideration when answering questions or performing other tasks.

  • Limited customization, as it won’t remember things you’ve told it from one session to another.

  • Free to use, but free access is sometimes limited during periods of congestion.

OpenAI Playground and ChatGPT are both made by the same people, they’re both free to use to a certain degree, and you can access them using the same login information. They have different purposes and capabilities though, with OpenAI Playground being geared more toward highly technical research and development, while you can use ChatGPT to perform a lot of useful tasks.

OpenAI Playground provides access to several AI models, including versions of GPT, and a number of variations on each model. It also allows users to fine-tune existing models and create their own models from scratch using custom datasets. ChatGPT only provides access to one model, GPT-3, and doesn’t provide users with any way to fine-tune or customize it with their own data.

Purposes: AI Model Testing vs. Conversational AI

OpenAI Playground

  • Allows users to experiment with different machine learning models.

  • Can be fine-tuned with custom data sets.

  • Useful in the development of applications that rely on machine learning.

  • Provides access to GPT in addition to other models.

ChatGPT

  • Engages in conversations with the user.

  • Generates responses to user prompts using natural language.

  • Performs writing tasks, including generating text passages.

  • Performs translation tasks.

The primary purpose of OpenAI Playground is to allow developers and researchers to experiment with various machine-learning models. It allows users to fine-tune existing models and train models using their own datasets for AI research and the development of AI-based applications.

ChatGPT has a completely different purpose, and it’s designed as a chatbot for users to interact with using natural language. Users provide prompts using natural language, or the same type of wording you’d use when talking to another purpose, and it responds in kind. Users can engage in conversation, or ask it to perform various tasks.

User Interface: OpenAI Playground is more complicated

OpenAI Playground

  • Web-based interface that allows for a high degree of model customization.

  • Drag-and-drop interface for experimenting with different models.

  • Lots of customization options to choose a model and adjust the way it works.

  • Includes documentation and tutorials to assist in getting started.

ChatGPT

  • Web-based interface that uses GPT-3.

  • Save, rename, access, and delete old conversations.

  • Text-based interface for entering prompts and reading responses.

  • Utilizes natural language for prompts and responses.

  • Simple interface that doesn’t require any technical expertise.

OpenAI Playground and ChatGPT are accessed through the OpenAI website, but the interfaces differ. ChatGPT is entirely text-based, with the user entering prompts using natural language, and the AI model replying the same way. Users can access, rename, and delete old conversations, but there isn’t any customization beyond that.

OpenAI Playground also allows text-based input, but it includes a drag-and-drop graphic interface and many customization options that ChatGPT doesn’t have. Users can select between several different machine-learning models, fine-tune existing models, and upload their own data to train new models.

The interface is more complex than the ChatGPT interface, but OpenAI does provide documentation and tutorials.

Model Training: Adjustable Training vs. Pre-Trained

OpenAI Playground

  • Includes several pre-trained machine learning models.

  • Allows users to train or fine-tune models using their own data.

  • Users can also build a new model from the ground up using their own data.

  • Customization options allow users to alter various parameters of existing models or their own models. 

ChatGPT

  • Uses a single pre-trained model that was trained using a very large dataset.

  • Users are not able to train or fine tune the model themselves.

  • Capable of recalling information you provide within a session, but not across different sessions or conversations.

One of the biggest differences between OpenAI Playground and ChatGPT is that one is trainable and the other isn’t. OpenAI Playground includes several pre-trained models that users can experiment with, and it also allows users to train their own models. ChatGPT is pre-trained, and users can’t train it with their own data.

Use Cases: OpenAI is more for research and development

OpenAI Playground

  • Testing various machine learning models.

  • Developing and training new machine learning models.

  • Trying out several different models in one place.

  • Implementing AI in custom applications.

  • Scientific research into AI and machine learning.

ChatGPT

  • Conversing on a variety of topics.

  • Assistance in writing documents like emails, social media posts, and even creative efforts.

  • Translating between different languages.

  • Writing or evaluating code.

  • Providing personalized recommendations based on user inputs.

While OpenAI Playground is free to use, and anyone with an OpenAI account can try it out, most people will find ChatGPT more useful.

Its usefulness is due to the different use cases that each service is designed to address. While OpenAI Playground is intended for use in testing out different machine learning models, training new models, and integrating AI into other applications, ChatGPT is designed to perform useful tasks like researching and synthesizing information, translating passages of text, writing and evaluating code, and engaging in conversations.

FAQ
  • Who owns OpenAI?

    OpenAI is privately owned but has some major partnerships with other tech companies. The biggest by far is Microsoft, which has pledged $1 billion in funding to integrate ChatGPT into its Bing search engine.

  • How do I use ChatGPT?

    You can access ChatGPT through its official website. Once you open the page, enter a prompt into the chat box to start the conversation.

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