The AI Model Race 2025: GPT-5 vs Gemini vs Claude
This article explores the 2025 race between GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Claude 4, comparing features, benchmarks, and use cases in next-gen AI.
In mid-2025, the AI world is dominated by a three‑corner contest: OpenAI’s GPT‑5, Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Anthropic’s Claude 4 (Opus 4 and Sonnet 4). These models aren’t incremental upgrades; they represent significant advancements in reasoning, multimodal understanding, coding prowess, and memory. While all three share the spotlight, each comes from a distinct philosophy and use case set. Let’s explore what makes them unique and how they stack up.
GPT‑5: The Versatile All-In-One System
OpenAI has signalled early August 2025 as the expected launch window for GPT‑5, after several delays tied to server and safety validation. CEO Sam Altman confirmed publicly that GPT-5 would be released “soon” and described the model as a unified system combining the GPT series with the o3 reasoning model for deeper logic. OpenAI plans to release mini and nano versions via API and ChatGPT, making advanced AI available in scaled slices.
GPT-5 is designed as a smarter, single engine that adapts to both quick conversational prompts and chain-of-thought tasks. Reports suggest it may offer multimodal input parsing, including text, images, audio, possibly video, and context windows far beyond GPT‑4’s 32K tokens. It could internally route complex queries into deeper reasoning pipelines when needed — a “smart” approach now visible in Microsoft's Copilot interface with its upcoming Smart Chat mode.
While benchmarks are still pending, anticipation is high: insiders describe GPT‑5 as significantly better at coding and reasoning than GPT‑4.5 or the o3 model alone. If its integration works as promised, GPT-5 will be a major leap in flexibility and capability.
Gemini 2.5 Pro: Google's Reasoning‑First, Multimodal Powerhouse
Google DeepMind rolled out Gemini 2.5 Pro in late March 2025, branding it their most intelligent model to date. It became generally available by June via the Gemini App, AI Studio, and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.
At its core, Gemini 2.5 Pro is a “thinking model.” It performs internal chain-of-thought reasoning before answering, supports native multimodal inputs: text, images, audio, video, code, and manages an extraordinary 1 million-token context window. This enables it to analyse entire books, video transcripts, or full codebases in one go.
A standout feature, “Deep Think” mode, allows the model to dedicate more computation to difficult tasks like math proofs or large code generation. Developers and educators have praised Gemini for its speed (Gemini 2.5 Flash can exceed 370 tokens per second) and clarity of explanation under load.
In an educator-led benchmark called the “arena for learning,” Gemini 2.5 Pro was preferred over competitors in 73.2% of head-to-head educational use cases, making it the top-rated model for teaching and structured explanation.
Claude 4: Agent‑Friendly, Aligned, and Coding‑Focused
Anthropic introduced Claude 4 on May 22, 2025, as two variants: Opus 4, its flagship high-capability model; and Sonnet 4, a leaner offering, including a free-tier accessible to many users. Both were launched across Anthropic’s Claude.ai platform, AWS Bedrock, and Google Cloud Vertex AI.
Claude 4 uses a hybrid reasoning architecture, offering “instant” fast mode and “extended thinking” mode for deeper reasoning, complete with integrated tool access such as web searching and code execution. It also features memory files, which allow it to persist session context across interactions, a key enabler for long-running agentic workflows.
With a 200K token context window, Claude 4 can process substantial text or codebases, and its tool-use architecture supports highly agentic tasks. Anthropic claims Opus 4 is the “best coding model in the world,” with human-validated performance leading in tasks like multi-file refactoring, debugging, and developer workflows.
How They Compare: Performance & Preferences
Note: GPT‑5 has not yet been released, so direct benchmarking is unavailable. Until then, comparisons focus on the two leading models currently in production: Gemini 2.5 Pro and Claude 4.
Reasoning Benchmarks
· Gemini 2.5 Pro posts top-tier scores, including around 86% to 87% on GPQA (Graduate-Level Google-Proof Question Answering) Diamond and 88% on AIME (Artificial Intelligence in Medicine) 2025. It also leads to the challenging “Humanity’s Last Exam,” scoring 18.8% accuracy, the highest among models without external tools.
· Claude 4 Opus 4 performs closely behind, scoring around 83% to 84% on GPQA and AIME. With targeted compute boosts, Opus can reach up to 90% on AIME. Sonnet scores slightly lower but still ranks highly across reasoning tasks.
Coding and Agent Workflows
· Claude 4 Opus 4 leads in code-based tasks, with a 72.7% baseline on SWE Bench and up to 80% with tool use. It also scores 43.2% on Terminal Bench, showing strong performance in agentic workflows. Sonnet matches Opus on the SWE Bench at a lower cost, making it a popular choice for developers and small teams.
· Gemini 2.5 Pro scores around 63% on SWE Bench but excels in broader applications. It handles large, multimodal projects and is a leader in contexts like the WebDev Arena, reflecting its flexibility across real-world use cases.
Human Preference and Education
· Gemini ranks highest in education-focused evaluations, preferred in 73% of side-by-side tests. It is consistently praised for its structured reasoning, factual clarity, and step-by-step explanations.
· Claude Sonnet is well regarded in developer and academic communities for its reliability, stable tone, and accessible coding features. As a robust free-tier option, it remains a favourite for users focused on value and performance.
What to Expect from GPT-5
GPT-5 is expected to unify the strengths of prior models into a single, flexible system. According to early reports, it will support multimodal inputs, deep reasoning, long context handling, and smart task routing. Its design aims to adapt across casual prompts, complex workflows, and enterprise-level use cases. Performance benchmarks will be available once the model is publicly released, likely offering a clearer view of how it compares to Claude and Gemini in real-world tasks.
Feature Highlights & Use Cases
GPT‑5
Expected to support fluid mode-switching between casual conversation and deep reasoning.
Integrated multimodal input support.
“Smart” chat adaptation via Microsoft Copilot integration.
Ideal for research automation, long document summarisation, creative multimodal content, large context knowledge work, and future agentic workflows.
Gemini 2.5 Pro
Built for long-context, multimodal reasoning—reads long documents, listens to audio, watches video, and responds cohesively.
Deep Think mode optimises accuracy under high cognitive load.
Seamlessly integrated with the Google ecosystem (Search, Workspace, Android, BigQuery).
Excellent for educational tools, enterprise summarisation, agentic browsing (Project Mariner), and rapid reasoning tasks.
Claude 4 (Opus & Sonnet)
Outstanding in agentic coding workflows, with tool use, long reasoning threads, and memory.
Opus 4 for power users; Sonnet 4 for free or lower-cost robust coding and reasoning.
Effective for legal, research synthesis, project planning, and document-heavy enterprise use.
Safe, aligned outputs by design, ideal for regulated industries and teams prioritising clarity and traceability.
Why the AI Model Race Matters Now
These three models illustrate not only technical progress but diverse strategic visions:
OpenAI pushes for unified performance across tasks and budget tiers.
Google emphasises reasoning-first multimodal prowess tied into its massive cloud and search ecosystem.
Anthropic bets on aligned, tool-augmented, high-context agents with strong performance in developer-centric workflows.
Together, this competition accelerates capability growth and makes advanced AI accessible via different platforms (Azure/OpenAI, Google Cloud, AWS Bedrock). Nations and enterprises view leadership in AI as strategic. These models move us fast toward capabilities once reserved for artificial general intelligence, agentic behaviour, long-term planning, and autonomous workflows. As OpenAI’s Altman puts it, GPT-5’s reasoning made him feel obsolete on a hard question; Google’s team touts Gemini as a stepping stone to AGI; Anthropic underscores safe, agentic AI with Claude’s memory and tool-use architecture.
Final Thoughts
As of July 2025:
Gemini 2.5 Pro leads in reasoning benchmarks, user preference, and multimodal depth.
Claude 4 Opus 4 offers unmatched coding power, long-agent persistence, and safety-forward alignment.
GPT-5 is expected to unify these strengths into a single super-model with flexible deployment across rapid, casual or deep tasks.
Which model is “best” depends on your needs. Coding-focused teams may gravitate toward Claude; educators and enterprises wanting structured reasoning and integration may choose Gemini; early adopters aiming for general-purpose AI and deep multimodal workflows may wait for GPT‑5. In any case, these releases represent a high-water mark for AI capability and signal the arrival of agents that can think, act, and assist like never before.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(language_model)
https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-copilot/microsoft-copilot-looks-set-to-gain-gpt-5-access-via-new-smart-chat-mode-right-alongside-chatgpt
https://www.entelligence.ai/blogs/claude-4-vs-gemini-2.5-pro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_(language_model)
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/new-chatgpt-release-date
https://www.mcneece.com/2025/07/gpt-5-vs-gemini-2-5-vs-claude-opus-4-vs-grok-4-which-next-gen-ai-will-rule-the-rest-of-2025
https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-prepares-launch-gpt-5-august-verge-reports-2025-07-24
https://www.theverge.com/notepad-microsoft-newsletter/712950/openai-gpt-5-model-release-date-notepad
https://blog.getbind.co/2025/05/23/claude-4-vs-claude-3-7-sonnet-vs-gemini-2-5-pro-which-is-best-for-coding
https://www.getpassionfruit.com/blog/claude-4-vs-chatgpt-o3-vs-grok-3-vs-gemini-2-5-pro-complete-2025-comparison-for-seo-traditional-benchmarks-research
https://felloai.com/2025/05/we-tested-claude-4-gpt-4-5-gemini-2-5-pro-grok-3-whats-the-best-ai-to-use-in-may-2025