Overwhelmed by the AI Model Arms Race – Which One Should I Actually Be Using?

Is anyone else getting decision fatigue from trying to keep up with AI models? It feels like every few days there’s a new “best” AI dropping. One week it’s ChatGPT-4o, then 4.5, then o1-mini-high, then suddenly Claude Sonnet 4 is the new hotness, then Gemini 2.5 Pro drops, then there’s Veo 3, Grok, DeepSeek… I can’t keep up anymore.

I’m not a coder – I use AI mainly for research, information gathering, and helping with work tasks (writing, analysis, brainstorming, etc.). I currently have ChatGPT Plus, but I’m constantly second-guessing whether I’m missing out on something better.

My main questions:

• For non-technical users doing general work tasks, does it really matter which model I use?

• Is the “latest and greatest” actually meaningfully better for everyday use, or is it just marketing hype?

• Should I be jumping between different models, or just stick with one reliable option?

• How do you all decide what’s worth paying for vs. what’s just FOMO?

I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars subscribing to every AI service, but I also don’t want to be stuck using something subpar if there’s genuinely better options out there.

Anyone else feeling lost in this endless cycle of “revolutionary” AI releases? How do you cut through the noise and actually decide what to use?

Plot twist: Guess which AI I used to write this post about being confused by too many AIs? 🤖😅 (The irony is not lost on me that I’m asking an AI to help me complain about having too many AI options…)