What is Forefront AI? Is it better than ChatGPT?

ChatGPT has become a household name since its launch in late 2022, but the AI ​​industry itself is also gaining traction. ChatGPT is not the only AI chatbot in existence, some platforms even offer several AI and LLM chatbots for you to choose from.

Take Forefront AI for example. The platform hosts several LLMs and even has its own version to try out. So how exactly does Forefront AI work and is it better than ChatGPT?

What is Forefront AI?

Forefront AI is an online platform that provides businesses and individuals with access to 5 different LLMs (large language models): GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Claude Instant 1.2, Claude 2 and Forefront. Although GPT-3.5, Forefront's chat feature, and Claude Instant are completely free to use, you will need to upgrade to the premium version of Forefront to access GPT-4 and Claude 2.

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 You can use these LLMs like on Forefront through its chatbot service or modify the pre-existing AI model to better suit your lifestyle or company needs. Forefront is also designed to help you integrate LLM with other software programs, including operating systems, cloud services, and coding environments. It can serve as a one-stop shop for those who want to combine a natural language processor with the software they desire.

For example, you may want to integrate a modified version of GPT-3.5 with the application you are developing. Maybe it's an AI-powered grammar checking extension or a financial news app. If there is reason why you think GPT-3.5 would be useful, you can use Forefront AI to modify the software to suit your application's needs.

Forefront also provides Personas for users to interact with.

Forefront Personas are specially trained versions of the available LLM. For example, you can reach a financial analyst, legal translator, product manager, or even a Persona software engineer using this feature.

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If you want to learn about the world or just have a little fun, you can also chat with historical figures through Forefront. The platform has LLM instances trained to respond like certain famous individuals and fictional characters, such as Joan of Arc, John Lennon, Socrates, R2D2, Voldemort, and Superman.

Forefront packages

You can use Forefront AI completely free of charge, but there are certain features that can only be accessed by paying customers. There are several levels you can access, with varying monthly fees.

As mentioned earlier, you can use Forefront's GPT-3.5, Claude Instant 1.2, and LLM for free. You can send 100 messages every 3 hours with the free plan, with a token input limit of 4,096, as well as 5 Internet searches and 3 file uploads every 3 hours.

To send unlimited messages with these 3 LLMs, you will need to upgrade to the Pro package at a cost of 29 USD/month. The Pro plan also allows you to send 30 GPT-4 messages and 30 Claude 2 messages every 3 hours. What's more, you can upload files and search images indefinitely, with an input limit of 100,000 tokens.

If you want access to all that Forefront AI has to offer, you'll need to subscribe to the Ultra plan, which costs $69/month. With this package, you can send 70 GPT-4 messages and 70 Claude 2 messages every 3 hours and use the other 3 LLMs as much as you like. Along with the 250,000 token input limit, you will also be able to upload files indefinitely and search the Internet.

Disadvantages of Forefront AI

Forefront AI is a flexible platform with rich options, but it also has limitations.

First, the chat interface can sometimes be slow to respond to prompts, especially if you enable the Internet search feature. Finally, LLM needs to collect browser search data and interpret it appropriately before responding, which can take longer than a response that doesn't require a browser search.

It's also important to note that Personas provided by Forefront are not always accurate. This is usually due to old data that the LLM you are using was trained on. For example, if you are using GPT-3.5 with Persona, all news and updates related to the character or characters appearing after September 2021 will not be included, as GPT-3.5 is only training with data until September 2021.

When using Forefront AI LLM, you may also receive feedback that may seem a bit jarring. When using LLM, you want natural, human-like responses, so sudden or mechanical responses can be annoying.

Is Forefront AI better than ChatGPT?

Forefront AI is a bit more flexible than ChatGPT. While ChatGPT only offers two LLMs from OpenAI, Forefront AI offers 5 LLMs from 3 separate developers, allowing users to freely choose.

However, to use GPT-4 to its fullest extent through Forefront AI, you will have to pay $69/month, while ChatGPT Plus allows you to use GPT-4 as much as you want for only $20/month. If GPT-4 is the only LLM you really want to use then you're better off using ChatGPT Plus.

Another factor to keep in mind is compatibility. You can use ChatGPT via OpenAI's app on your iOS or Android smartphone, making it easy to access GPT-3.5 or GPT-4 on the go. On the other hand, Forefront AI does not offer a smartphone app, so you can only use it through your computer or smartphone browser.

When using GPT-3.5 via Forefront and then using it via OpenAI, there are some key differences. For example, GPT-3.5 typically gives a more in-depth answer when used on its parent site, while the answer is less detailed on Forefront AI.

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The example asked GPT-3.5 to explain the concept of comedy on the Forefront AI and OpenAI websites. While Forefront gives a 200-word answer, OpenAI gives a 500-word answer, along with bullet points highlighting the different elements that make up the overall comedy.

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The example also requires GPT-3.5 to explain the US Congress on two different platforms. ChatGPT's GPT-3.5 provides a 600-word response, breaking down different elements of Congress into bullet points for easier reading. On Forefront AI, GPT-3.5 provides a 300-word answer, leaving out some key hints included when asked on the OpenAI website.

Obviously, using GPT-3.5 via OpenAI allows for more detailed answers.

Forefront and ChatGPT LLM training and data limits

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Although Forefront AI gives you access to 5 different LLMs, only one of them is developed by Forefront AI. Forefront's LLM chat feature is currently in alpha, meaning it is still being worked on and tested. You can use it for free, but it's important to note that it's not yet finalized, so you may encounter some difficulties and frustrations.

On the other hand, GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 have been rigorously tested so you will likely encounter fewer problems. However, Forefront's training data lasts until 2023, while GPT-3.5's data ends in September 2021 and GPT-4's data ends in January 2022. So, if that is the latest data you are looking for then Forefront can serve you better.

GPT-4 will also receive an exciting upgrade in fall 2023, allowing users to search the Internet through OpenAI's latest LLM.

OpenAI announced the Internet search feature in September 2023, with the first roll-out taking place for ChatGPT Plus users on the 27th. This allows GPT-4 to access data after September 2021, making this data even more useful and giving it an edge over some other LLMs.

However, this feature still has some limitations. When trying to search the Internet for GPT-4, LLM said that it could not access certain websites, especially those with the "robot.txt" file, which is responsible for initiating the Robots Exclusion Protocol. Many websites are choosing to block OpenAI's GPT Bot to protect their content, especially since blocking GPT Bot is an easy process.

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This prevents GPT-4 from pulling information from sites with stricter robots.txt parameters.

Micah Soto

Update 15 October 2023