The test that determined: which AI model will really help you with daily tasks?

A head-to-head performance test between OpenAI's GPT-6 and Anthropic's Claude Haiku 5.5, conducted on Tom's Guide, examined five routine scenarios: meal planning, creative writing, purchase recommendations, schedule management, and building a budget calculator. GPT-6 won 3-2 thanks to practical solutions and dynamic tool creation, while Claude excelled in personalized research and empathy.

A head-to-head performance test conducted on Tom's Guide pitted OpenAI's flagship GPT-6 against Anthropic's fast and cheap Claude Haiku 5.5. The test examined five routine scenarios using identical prompts: planning a festive multi-course meal for ten diners (including a vegan, a nut allergy, and two picky children) on a budget of up to $175 with a single oven; creative writing of a fantasy novel opening; purchase recommendations for running shoes under $150 for a runner with a high arch; managing a tight family schedule including a work deadline, picking up kids, and a post office visit; and building a household budget calculator. GPT-6 won with a score of 3 to 2. Its significant advantage lies in its ability to offload physical work from the user: in the meal test, it made all sides vegan by default, cutting cooking complexity by 50%. In the tool-building test, it produced a designed, interactive, and intuitive application with an Intelligent UI interface, allowing in-place amount changes, resetting, and offline use. In creative writing, it jumped straight into the action in a style suitable for young adult literature. On the other hand, Claude Haiku 5.5 proved superior in tasks requiring personalized research: in finding running shoes, it provided deep orthopedic insights and explained why a rigid arch requires maximum cushioning shoes, while GPT-6 recommended an unsuitable model. In managing the family schedule, it offered warm, personal, and practical advice, sounding like an experienced parent. The test proves that choosing a chatbot should depend on the task type: GPT-6 is suitable for practical solutions and tool creation, while Claude is suitable for personalized decision-making and precise research.