Can I use Google AI like ChatGPT?

TL;DR Yes. Use Google’s Gemini app for chat like ChatGPT, or Promptus to create & publish visuals with Nano Banana—edit, gallery, video + music in one place.

The quick answer

Yes—you can use Google AI much like ChatGPT. Google’s conversational product is Gemini (the successor to Bard). It gives you a chat-style interface on the web and mobile, hooks into Google services, and offers “agentic” features like Deep Research that explore the web on your behalf.

If your work is visual, the simplest all-in-one route is Promptus: a single web interface where you can generate and edit with Google’s “Nano Banana” model (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image), organize results into Collections, publish public galleries, and even turn images into video with music—no exporting back and forth.

What “using Google AI like ChatGPT” actually means

When people say “use Google AI like ChatGPT,” they’re usually asking if Google has a general-purpose conversational assistant that:

1. takes natural-language instructions,
2. can browse the web for up-to-date answers,
3. handles documents, images, and longer tasks, and
4. plugs into everyday tools.

That’s Gemini. You can open the Gemini web app, sign in, and chat much the way you would with ChatGPT. Gemini now includes Deep Research—an option that explores the web and synthesizes sources into a scoped report—along with features to show related sources and citations.

OpenAI offers the same broad mode: ChatGPT—and since early 2025, ChatGPT Search is available to everyone (no account required) for real-time web results. It pairs well with other ChatGPT agentic features like Deep Research (rollout across tiers through 2025).

Bottom line: both ecosystems now support live web retrieval and agentic research; you can pick based on your workflow, data sources, and where you want your outputs to live.

Side-by-side: Gemini vs ChatGPT

1) Real-time web access

• Gemini (Google) — In the app, Deep Research breaks down complex prompts and explores the web to compile findings, with ways to view related sources and citations.
• ChatGPT (OpenAI) — ChatGPT Search is available to everyone, and Deep Research is rolling out broadly, so ChatGPT can also conduct multi-step web investigations.

Takeaway: both now browse natively; differences come down to interface and how each synthesizes / cites the web.

2) Context windows (how much the model can “hold in mind”)

• Gemini — Google launched long-context models early; Gemini 2.5 Pro ships with ~1M tokens (with larger windows discussed and earlier 1.5 releases offering up to 2M in Vertex AI).
• ChatGPT — In 2025, GPT-4.1 arrived with up to 1M tokens in the API, greatly expanding ChatGPT’s long-context abilities compared to earlier 128K models. (OpenAI)

Takeaway: both ecosystems now reach ~1M-token contexts (and Gemini has documented 2M in certain flows). If you wrangle huge PDFs/codebases, check which tier/endpoint actually exposes that window for you.

3) Multimodality (text, image, audio, video)

• Gemini — Native multimodality spans text, code, images, audio, video; Google’s image stack now includes Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (“Nano Banana”) for natural-language edits, multi-image fusion, character consistency, and SynthID watermarks.
• ChatGPT — OpenAI’s models (e.g., GPT-4o family and GPT-4.1) are also multimodal. ChatGPT’s web Search and Deep Research augment the experience with live data.

4) Integrations

• Gemini — Deep integration with Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet via Google One AI and Workspace releases. If you live in Google’s suite, this can feel native.
• ChatGPT — GPTs/Plugins and a large third-party ecosystem extend ChatGPT into many workflows and sites.

5) Availability & getting started

• Gemini app: sign in at gemini.google.com; mobile apps available.
• ChatGPT Search: free to anyone; standard ChatGPT available in web/mobile apps with additional paid tiers.

Visual work? The simplest path is Promptus (all-in-one)

If your goal is visual creation—image generation, image editing with Nano Banana, and quick publishing—Promptus is the least fussy way to go:

• Model access: Pick Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (aka “Nano Banana”) from a model selector right inside the same workspace you use for everything else.
• Create → Save → Publish: Save your outputs to Collections, then publish them as a public gallery without leaving the site (handy for portfolios, drops, and client links).
• Go beyond stills: Generate AI video (e.g., Veo 3) and layer music/audio using Promptus’ native audio engine—no exporting to a separate editor.

Plain-English workflow: Open Promptus → choose Gemini 2.5 Flash Image / Nano Banana → upload or describe your edit (“remove the stain,” “blend photo A into scene B”) → iterate → Save to Collections → Publish a gallery → optionally animate to video and add music—all in one place.

How to use Google’s Gemini like ChatGPT (text-first tasks)

If you’re primarily doing text, research, planning, or document help, here’s a quick Gemini setup:

1. Open the Gemini app (web or mobile) and sign in with your Google Account.
2. Chat as you would in ChatGPT. Ask for summaries, brainstorming, planning, or code help.
3. For time-sensitive topics, enable Deep Research. It will explore the web and compile a scoped report. You can upload files as part of the research, too.
4. Work where you already are. Use Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail—especially if you’re on Google One AI or Workspace; it can draft emails, fill Sheets, and prep slides.

Prefer OpenAI’s experience? Use ChatGPT Search for up-to-date answers and Deep Research for multi-step web investigations; both are now broadly available.

Where Gemini shines vs where ChatGPT shines

Gemini strengths

• Workspace native: If your day is Gmail/Docs/Sheets/Meet, Gemini feels like a built-in copilot.
• Long context & multimodality: The platform has emphasized very large context windows and rich multimodal IO from early on.
• Image editing (Nano Banana): For natural-language edits that hold character consistency and support multi-image fusion—with SynthID watermarking—Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is a standout.

ChatGPT strengths

• Massive third-party ecosystem: GPTs/Plugins and countless integrations give ChatGPT reach across tools and sites.
• Web access now default: ChatGPT Search is open to everyone; Deep Research continues to expand.
• Model variety & cadence: Rapid model releases (e.g., GPT-4.1 with ~1M token contexts) keep the text-reasoning frontier hot.

Reality check: Both are improving quickly. If one edge matters (e.g., long-context coding sessions or image-editing pipelines), pick the platform that nails that edge for you.

Pricing notes (high level)

• Gemini — Consumer access is through the Gemini app (free tiers exist) and Google One AI subscriptions; enterprise features land via Workspace and Vertex AI. For developers, the Gemini API/AI Studio lists per-token pricing; for images, Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is $30 / 1M output tokens (~1,290 tokens per image ≈ $0.039 per output image).
• ChatGPT — Free and paid plans, plus API pricing. ChatGPT Search is free to everyone; additional agentic features and higher limits depend on tier.

Always check the current pricing pages before scaling—these numbers change.

Choosing your path

• Writers/researchers: If your stack is Google Workspace and you want inline help (Gmail/Docs/Sheets) and Deep Research inside the Gemini app, Gemini is a natural fit.
• Developers: Try Google AI Studio (Gemini API) or OpenAI’s API depending on model preference and context needs (both offer ~1M-token options now).
• Visual creators (fastest pipeline): Promptus. It’s a single interface where you can use Nano Banana, organize in Collections, publish galleries, and turn images into videos with music—no extra tools. This is the least friction to get from idea → shareable visuals.

Practical prompts to get you started

On Gemini (text & research):

• “Compare two suppliers; produce a table of lead time, MOQ, and price per unit; cite sources. Then draft an email to the winner.”
• “Summarize this 60-page PDF and extract key dates; create a checklist in Google Sheets.”
• “Plan a 3-day itinerary in Dubai in November; include distances and travel times, with links to sources.”

On Promptus (visuals with Nano Banana):

• “Remove the coffee stain on this shirt; keep fabric texture. Slightly warm the lighting.”
• “Blend object from image A into scene B near the keyboard; match color temperature.”
• “Keep this character consistent; generate three variants in café, office, and beach settings.”
• “Animate this image into a 6–8s clip and add a subtle ambient track.”

Conclusion

You absolutely can use Google AI like ChatGPT—the Gemini app covers everyday chat and agentic research, and Google’s ecosystem gives you deep ties into Workspace. If your focus is visual creation, Promptus puts Google’s Nano Banana right beside your asset management and publishing: generate, edit, organize, publish, and expand to video + music—without juggling extra tools.

In 2025 the real difference is less “who can browse” or “who has the largest context” (both now offer ~1M tokens and live web access) and more where you live: in Google Workspace, in OpenAI’s GPT ecosystem, or in a visual-first pipeline like Promptus. Pick the lane that removes the most friction for your day-to-day work.