Everyone loves Claude AI . . . should you?

Everyone loves Claude AI . . . should you?

INTRODUCING CLAUDE AI

Anthropic's Claude AI is a very popular rival to OpenAI's ChatGPT!  What can it offer you?  The information below outlines the key features of Claude (as of 05.21.25 ) for both paid and unpaid accounts, as well as provides some suggestions for best use cases. 

FEATURES WITH A PAID ACCOUNTS

  1. ALIGNMENT = Constitutional AI; doesn't train on user-AI interaction/data; deletes user prompts/AI output every 90 days
  2. CODING/TECHINCAL TASKS = More context-aware 
  3. CONTENT HANDLING: ARTIFACT = Dedicated window showing formatted text ("final project")           
  4. CONTENT HANDLING: PROJECTS = "[S]elf-contained workspaces with their own chat history and knowledge base"; customizable instructions (context/response parameters); projects library stores interactions       
  5. CONTEXT MAINTENANCE = Excellent at maintaining chat context through multiple prompts                               
  6. CONTENT WINDOW = Up to 200,000 tokens        
  7. INTERNET ACCESS = "Yes" for paid accounts     
  8. MODEL OPTIONS = Sonnet 3.7; Haiku 3.5; Sonnet 3.5 (October 2024); 3 Opus             
  9. "RESEARCH" MODE = "Research" mode engages with activated "Web search" feature   
  10. "SEARCH AND TOOLS" = Style options include: Normal, Concise, Explanatory, Formal; users can create a style (by providing a writing sample or describe a desired style); paid accounts can toggle "Extended thinking" or "Web search" on/off      
  11. UPLOAD FILES = Text (.txt, .md, .csv, .json); spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls, .csv); documents (.docx, .pdf); images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png); code (.py, .js, .html); accepts screenshots 
     
A table created by Claude from an uploaded file.
                        
An interactive table in the Artifact window created by Claude from an uploaded file.
       

FEATURES WITH AN UNPAID ACCOUNT        

  1. ALIGNMENT/ETHICS = Constitutional AI; doesn't train on user-AI interaction/data; deletes user prompts/AI output every 90 days
  2. CODING/TECHINCAL TASKS = More context-aware         
  3. CONTENT HANDLING: ARTIFACT = Dedicated window showing formatted text ("final project")       
  4. CONTENT HANDLING: PROJECTS = "[S]elf-contained workspaces with their own chat history and knowledge base"; customizable instructions (context/response parameters); projects library stores interactions   
  5. CONTEXT MAINTENANCE = Excellent at maintaining chat context through multiple prompts       
  6. CONTENT WINDOW = Varies; less than 200,000 tokens          
  7. INTERNET ACCESS = "No" for free accounts (but "coming soon")   
  8. MODEL INTERACTION = 40 short chats/day average; 20-30 longer chats/day average; lower during peak usage; reset daily        
  9. MODEL OPTIONS = Sonnet 3.7; defaults to Haiku 3.5 during peak usage periods 
  10. "RESEARCH" MODE = "Research" mode engages with activated "Web search" feature           
  11. "STYLE" = Style options include: Normal, Concise, Explanatory, Formal; users can create a style (by providing a writing sample or describe a desired style   
  12. UPLOAD FILES  = Text (.txt, .md, .csv, .json); spreadsheets (.xlsx, .xls, .csv); documents (.docx, .pdf); images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png); code (.py, .js, .html); accepts screenshots   

               

EXAMPLES OF BEST USE CASES

  1. CHARTS/GRAPHS = Upload source files > prompt Claude to create a table/bar graph; visual is interactive within Claude Artifact window; Artifact can be copied to Projects folder or as .TSX file; Artifact can be shared via hyperlink                 
  2. RUBRICS = Draft your prompt > let Claude respond > in the Artifacts window, click on the action arrow [v] associated with the Copy button and select “Download as txt” > open the AI-generated .TXT file and save it with a .CSV extension (e.g., “essay-grading_rubric.csv”) /// open Excel > click on File > Open > find the CSV file > the content of the CSV file will populate the new spreadsheet - but it requires formatting > format > save with preferred Excel extension                          





    • Related Articles

    • Is it possible to limit how much information I share with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model?

      Yes! Limiting AI Model Access to User Inputs One of the most serious concerns users have when using an AI model is how much of their interaction is being kept and used to train/improve the platform's performance. Beyond privacy concerns, it's a fair ...

    • Can AI . . . create rubrics?

      START WITH A PROMPT When drafting the prompt, include as many specifics regarding your output expectations as possible; the details associated with a creating a grading rubric for a history course are bolded in the example below. SUGGESTED MODEL: ...

    • A T.R.E.A.T. For Your Syllabus: An AI Syllabus Policy Framework

      Why Have an AI Use Policy? Students continue expressing confusion, fear, and uncertainty over allowable uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Higher Education. Syllabi represent a reliable, go-to location where faculty can outline their positions ...

    • Are there AI-powered search engines beyond ChatGPT (that promote privacy)?

      What's Out There? Yes! There are AI search engines (beyond ChatGTP and Perplexity) worth exploring! And, for more good news, these place an emphasis on privacy! Here are some options for those of us weary of the same old approaches to AI . . . Andi ...

    • The T.E.A.C.H. Framework for AI Literacy

      As developers, programmers, businesses, schools, and governments infuse Artificial Intelligence (AI) into more aspects of daily operations and activity, it’s essential that users have a framework for understanding the technology. T.E.A.C.H. framework ...