How to get started with Claude AI?

Until recently, I was like many of us here—using ChatGPT for everything. It was my daily productivity companion. But last week, I attended a free seminar from GrowthSchool, and it opened my eyes to another AI tool: Claude AI by Anthropic.

What is Claude AI?

Claude is a conversational AI assistant similar to ChatGPT but with a different approach and tone. It’s designed to help with:

• Writing and editing
  
• Summarizing long PDFs
  
• Brainstorming ideas
  
• Coding assistance

The tool is named after Claude Shannon, the father of information theory, and is built with a focus on safety and clarity in conversations.

How is it different from ChatGPT?

Here’s what I found interesting:

• Gentle and clarifying tone: Claude often asks clarifying questions before answering and responds carefully, which helps when you are structuring your thoughts.
  
• File upload even in the free version: You can upload PDFs and documents and ask it to summarize or extract insights without needing a paid plan.
  
• Great for reading and summarizing long documents: This is one area where Claude felt smoother compared to my experience with ChatGPT Free (which doesn’t allow file uploads).
  
• Different perspective: Using both Claude and ChatGPT together gives different angles when brainstorming content, strategies, or writing hooks.

Free Version Differences:

ChatGPT Free:

• Uses GPT-3.5 (GPT-4.0 available for limited use)
  
• No file upload in free plan
  
• Direct and flexible tone

Claude Free:

• Uses Claude 3 Haiku (lightweight model)
• Allows file uploads and chatting with documents
• Gentle, clarifying conversation style

How to get started with Claude AI?

If you want to try Claude AI, it’s simple:

• Go to claude.ai (the official website).
• Create a free account using your email.
• Start chatting or upload a PDF to experience how it handles document summarization and Q&A.
• Try using it side-by-side with ChatGPT for a week to see which tasks feel smoother on Claude.

Conclusion:

You don't necessarily need to choose one over the other. Many power users find that Claude and ChatGPT complement each other well:

• Use ChatGPT for quick answers, brainstorming, and when you need fast responses.
  
• Use Claude for complex analysis, creative work, research, and when you need more thoughtful, nuanced interactions.

Exploring Claude has been a small but valuable addition to my workflow, and it might be worth adding to yours too.