Most people treat AI tools like it's a winner-take-all race. You pick your favorite — ChatGPT or Gemini — and stick with it.
But here's the secret: the real power move is using both. Think of them as teammates, not rivals.
Each has different strengths, and when used together, they can amplify your productivity, creativity and accuracy.
Why use both?
ChatGPT and Gemini each bring unique talents to the table:
ChatGPT excels at creativity, conversational tone, emotional intelligence, storytelling and memory.
Gemini shines with up-to-date search information, structured planning, visual generation and integration with Google’s ecosystem.
By combining their strengths, you can cover more ground and elevate your results for the ultimate synergy.
What prompts are better when combined
Here are some common use cases that benefit from a tag-team approach:
1. Planning a trip
Gemini prompt: "What are the real-time flight [or hotel] options and trending spots based on recent searches?"
ChatGPT prompt: "Using this information, build a fun, tailored 3-day itinerary with kid-friendly or off-the-beaten-path suggestions."
There’s no doubt that this method, one I call prompt dusting, takes longer. However, the results are worth it.
The detailed response from Gemini, coupled with the creativity and emotional intelligence of ChatGPT (it probably knows you best) blend together for the ultimate response.
2. Brainstorming and polishing
Gemini prompt: "Generate an outline or research-based framework for the future of chatbots."
ChatGPT prompt: "Refine the language, add wit or personality and adjust the tone for a teenage audience."
If this were a group project, Gemini would be the no-nonsense partner who dishes out the facts with ease. Meanwhile, ChatGPT is the one who takes the information and tweaks it so it fits the intended audience.
Could one chatbot be used for this? Absolutely! However, for the best results, using the chatbots together ensures your project is done even better.
Where Gemini struggles with tone, ChatGPT picks up the slack. Similarly, when ChatGPT doesn’t hit all the elements of research, Gemini comes to the rescue.
3. Creating visuals
Gemini prompt: "Generate a unique image of the New York skyline in spring."
ChatGPT prompt: "Using this image as a starting point, add elements that fit my personality."
Gemini has a decent and fast image generator. While ChatGPT arguably has the better image generator, for those without ChatGPT Plus, the results can be slower.
To ensure you get the image you want without wasting any time, start with Gemini and then ask ChatGPT to tweak your image to your liking. In this case, the chatbot added elements based on what it knows about me.
4. Summarizing complex topics
Gemini prompt: "Find 3 new studies on how caffeine affects sleep in adults."
ChatGPT prompt: "Summarize these findings in a conversational tone suitable for a blog post."
From the results, you could even ask ChatGPT to write a social media post, script a YouTube video or generate a newsletter summary based on Gemini's intel.
Want some sweet headline options? Bring DeepSeek in for the win. But that’s for another day. My point is, prompt dusting works and it’s a process I swear by to get results tailored to my exact needs.
Final thoughts
I like to think of prompt dusting as using a toothbrush, floss and mouthwash. We don’t expect our toothbrush to do the full job — so why expect that from a single chatbot?
ChatGPT and Gemini are like having two brilliant assistants with different specialties. Use them together, and you get sharper ideas, smoother workflows and better results across the board.
I encourage you to try this with all your favorite chatbots to see which ones work best for you. The technique is all about learning to orchestrate all of them.
More from Tom's Guide
- DeepSeek wrote the prompts, ChatGPT created the images — and I'm obsessed
- I just tested ChatGPT vs Gemini with 7 AI image prompts — and one crushed the other
- 10 ChatGPT prompts I love that’ll turn you into a power user
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