What is a chatbot and how ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude work

A chatbot is a program that talks with a person by text or voice. Modern AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot) run on large language models and understand requests in everyday language.

An old button-based bot and a modern AI chatbot

In plain words

An old chatbot is like a bank's phone menu: "Press 1 to check your balance." One step off the script and it's lost. A modern AI bot is like a very well-read conversation partner you can talk to about anything in your own words. But this partner sometimes confidently makes things up, so listen with a critical ear.

How it works

You write a message - a prompt.
The app adds your conversation history and some system instructions.
A large language model generates the answer, word by word.
Some bots can search the internet, read files and photos or run tools.
The answer appears on screen, and the conversation continues with everything said before in mind.

A modern chatbot can search the web and read files

Where you'll see it

Chatbots live on websites and in apps, in messengers (for example, Telegram bots), in search engines, in smartphones (Gemini on Android, Siri with ChatGPT on iPhone) and in office software. Many shops and banks also have support bots.

Does it matter when buying

For devices, what matters is whether the phone supports the assistant and language you want. For using them, my rules are: don't enter passwords or personal documents; check facts; phrase your request specifically. And remember that free versions are usually limited in messages and features.

Myths

Myth: A chatbot always knows the latest news. Reality: Only if it has access to search. Otherwise its knowledge ends at its training date.
Myth: The bot remembers everything about me forever. Reality: It depends on the service and memory settings. Check them and turn them off if needed.

FAQ

Are AI chatbots free?

Most have a free version with limits and a paid subscription.

Do bots understand languages other than English?

Leading models understand and write many languages well, though they usually work slightly better in English.

Can I use a bot for homework?

For explanations, yes - it's like a patient tutor. Simply copying is a bad idea: you won't learn, and the bot may be wrong.