Users are fed up with ChatGPT’s restrictions, bland responses, and hit-or-miss performance in newer versions like 3.5 and 4. Frustrated Reddit users say it’s ignoring instructions, giving generic answers, and failing to keep up in conversations.
Sound familiar?
Here’s what’s really going on—and what you can do about it.
Is ChatGPT getting worse?
Yes! ChatGPT's performance and behavior have shown signs of deterioration over time, with notable declines in its ability to follow instructions and perform certain tasks. For instance, GPT-4's accuracy in identifying prime numbers dropped from 84% in March 2023 to 51% in June 2023, and its ability to follow user instructions also decreased significantly during this period.
Why is ChatGPT getting worse?
The increasing user frustration with ChatGPT can be traced to its limitations in architecture and operational model. While ChatGPT represents a significant leap in AI capabilities, its closed training system and static knowledge base create inherent challenges that affect user experience.
Below is a detailed breakdown of key reasons why ChatGPT isn’t working and how modern AI search tools address these challenges.
Why does ChatGPT give wrong answers?
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Fixed training cutoff date
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Mixing of multiple training sources
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No ability to fact-check against original sources
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Pattern matching prioritizes plausible over accurate
Solution
AI search tools like Qatalog can access current information in real-time. It can connect to your data sources and synthesize emails, PDFs, and documents on Google Drive, SharePoint, and data warehouses like BigQuerry or Snowflake.
Why does ChatGPT provide inconsistent responses?
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Server load affects performance
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Different model versions behave differently
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Safety filters applied inconsistently
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Context window limitations
Solution
Qatalog maintains consistency by always checking your connected sources before answering. You can connect top-level URLs, for example, Reddit, to synthesize threads or specific domains to get specific insights.
Why is ChatGPT slow or unresponsive?
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High user demand
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Resource allocation issues
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Complex prompt processing
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Token limit constraints
Solution
Qatalog democratizes access to advanced RAG AI technology to efficiently search within connected documents and data.
Why does ChatGPT hallucinate or make up information?
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Trained always to provide an answer
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No connection to source material
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Pattern completion vs fact retrieval
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Mixing information from multiple sources
Solution
Qatalog's advanced search always links to where it found information and keeps information traceable and verifiable.
Why does ChatGPT lose context in conversations?
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Limited context window
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No persistent memory
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Token limitations
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Multiple topic confusion
Solution
Qatalog can maintain context better because it focuses on searching through connected sources. It can handle specialized questions better and maintain clear information boundaries.
Why does ChatGPT have limited domain expertise?
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General knowledge prioritized over depth
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Can't access specialized resources
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Mixed quality of training data
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No expert verification
RAG solution
Qatalog's AI search engine can access your expert documentation and understand specific terminology.
A better way forward?
Instead of relying on AI that guesses based on old information, people and organizations are switching to AI-powered search tools like Qatalog that:
- Access real-time information
- Work with your actual documents
- Provide verifiable sources
- Maintain security and privacy
- Stay current automatically
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Is Qatalog’s RAG just another ChatGPT?
No, Qatalog’s RAG and ChatGPT serve different purposes. While both use AI, they work in distinct ways.
ChatGPT is well-suited for generating content, coding, and creative tasks, but it relies on a fixed set of training data, which can become outdated and is difficult to verify. This leads to the limitations we've discussed.
Qatalog, on the other hand, actively retrieves up-to-date information from your connected sources, including data warehouses, intranets, and even the internet.
So, I can't use Qatalog for content generation?
While Qatalog can synthesize information from various sources like emails and databases, it's designed as an AI knowledge assistant—not primarily as a content generator. It’s excellent for exploring and analyzing data rather than creating new content from scratch.
Use Qatalog when you need:
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Verified information from the sources you connect
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Answers based on your documents and data
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Source citations
Use ChatGPT when you need:
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Creative writing
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Content generation
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Coding help
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General brainstorming
Comparing GPT vs RAG
Feature |
Traditional LLMs (like ChatGPT) |
RAG Systems (like Qatalog) |
Data freshness |
Fixed training cutoff date |
Access real-time or recently updated knowledge bases |
Can't access new information |
Can incorporate new documents/data immediately | |
Knowledge becomes increasingly outdated |
Maintain accuracy on current events/information | |
Source transparency |
Can't cite specific sources |
Can point to exact source documents |
Mix information from multiple training sources |
Provide clear provenance of information | |
Higher risk of hallucination |
Easier to verify claims | |
Domain specificity |
General knowledge across many domains |
Can be focused on specific domains/knowledge bases |
May lack depth in specific areas |
Better accuracy for specialized tasks | |
Can't be easily specialized |
Easy to update domain knowledge | |
Control and customization |
Fixed knowledge base |
Customizable knowledge base |
Can't be easily corrected |
Can remove/correct incorrect information | |
One-size-fits-all approach |
Tailored to specific use cases | |
resource Efficiency |
Require massive retraining for updates |
Update by changing reference documents |
Limited by model size/training data |
More efficient scaling of knowledge | |
Expensive to maintain/update |
Lower maintenance costs | |
Accuracy trade-offs |
Better at synthesis and generalization |
More accurate on specific facts |
May provide smoother, more natural responses |
May be more rigid in responses | |
Higher risk of outdated information |
Lower risk of hallucination |
Related: ChatGPT vs Copilot