ChatGPT - study mode, Google guided learning, Claude learning mode and University of Sydney Cogniti - are they similar or different?

 There has been a flurry of activity in the Gen Au space of relevance to teaching and learning. First up was the launch of ChatGPT5.0 which allows for the use of it in 'study mode', This allowsa for a shift in the emphasis of using Gen AI to 'provide answers' towards using it as a 'study coach'. 

A few days later, Google also joined the move with its 'guided learning' in Gemini. 

Whilst, Claude has provided a learning mode for some months.

The above join University of Sydney's Cogniti as possibilities for teachers and learners to move towards personalised learning environments. There is also a recent start up - Wild Zebra - which provisions personalised tutors to students. 

However, as with all the 'vanilla' Gen AIs, each has things it does well and things it will struggle with. 

For example, here is a comparison of ChatGPT's study mode with Claude learning mode by Toms Guide. 

Using chatgpt to compare university of sydney cogniti with chatgpt study mode yields some differences.

Key Differences Summarized:

Feature	Cogniti	ChatGPT Study Mode
Focus	Educational context, feedback, integration	General problem-solving and learning
Integration	Canvas and other learning platforms	General use
Accessibility	Equitably available to all students	Requires access to ChatGPT
Feedback	Personalized and standardized	Interactive and conversational
Tracking	Tracks student-AI interaction	Does not specifically track
Bias	Potential for bias from training data	Potential for bias from training data

Therefore, each tool has pluses and minuses and as per all of our recent studies into  integration of Gen AI into VET, Gen AI tools need to be carefully selected, and learning planned and structured. 

A caveat with using Gen AI systems as 'tutors' is provided in a recent article by Flenady and Sparrow (2025). Their warning points to the often disregarded conceptualisation of Gen AI - in that it is NOT intelligent but build on algorithms for pattern recognition. They argue that Gen AI systems are 'epistemically irresponsible'. It is therefore important to always take heed of this warning and to ensure that all users have this at the topmost of their minds whenever they use Gen AI.