In the ongoing battle among artificial intelligence powerhouses, a recent evaluation has positioned OpenAI’s ChatGPT-5.1 as the frontrunner against xAI’s Grok 4.1. Conducted by Rory Mellon for Tom’s Guide, the test assessed the two AI models across nine diverse prompts, revealing ChatGPT-5.1’s superiority in creativity, reasoning, and practical applications. This matchup highlights the fierce competition that characterizes the AI landscape in 2025.
The rigorous evaluation covered various tasks, including image analysis, intricate mathematical problems, and creative writing. ChatGPT-5.1 excelled in seven out of nine categories. Notably, Grok 4.1 struggled significantly with ethical dilemmas and multimodal tasks, despite xAI’s claims of enhanced emotional intelligence.
Analyzing Performance Metrics
Tom’s Guide employed a methodology that mirrors industry standards, referencing previous comparisons such as those between ChatGPT-5 and Grok 4. In the initial prompt, which involved analyzing a family photo, ChatGPT-5.1 provided nuanced insights into emotional context and setting. In contrast, Grok 4.1 delivered only generic descriptions. The evaluation extended to coding tasks, where ChatGPT generated flawless Python scripts for data analysis, whereas Grok produced scripts that contained errors requiring corrections.
Despite xAI’s assertions that Grok 4.1 received a 65% user preference over earlier models and achieved an EQ-Bench score of 1586, the results from Tom’s Guide reveal substantial performance gaps. For example, during a logic puzzle challenge, Grok needed hints to arrive at the correct answer, while ChatGPT solved it independently.
Mathematical and Ethical Reasoning Insights
Further examination of mathematical prowess revealed that ChatGPT-5.1 accurately solved high-school level algebra problems, clearly explaining its methodology—a feature highlighted in the evaluation. Conversely, Grok 4.1 initially made errors and only corrected them upon retrying. This inconsistency aligns with earlier findings regarding Grok’s capabilities.
Ethical reasoning was another critical aspect of the evaluation. In a scenario resembling the trolley problem, ChatGPT-5.1 offered a thoughtful analysis rooted in philosophical perspectives such as utilitarianism, securing top marks. Grok, however, adopted a simplistic view, lacking the depth that characterized ChatGPT’s response. While AI Hub notes Grok’s improvements in reliability with its 4.1 update, the recent tests indicate that OpenAI still maintains an advantage in nuanced ethical judgment.
Creative Outputs and Technical Foundations
Creativity was a notable highlight in the evaluation. ChatGPT crafted a compelling short story centered on a stranded astronaut, rich in plot and emotional depth. Conversely, Grok’s version, while imaginative, leaned toward cliché. In image generation tasks, ChatGPT again outperformed Grok, producing detailed artistic renditions of a cyberpunk city, an assessment corroborated by visuals from Tom’s Guide.
Despite recent claims by Elon Musk that Grok 4 Heavy historically outpaces GPT-5, the specifics of Grok 4.1 have yet to be verified independently. While xAI promotes Grok 4.1’s emotional attunement, comparative evaluations continue to reveal ChatGPT’s broader capabilities.
Looking beneath the surface, OpenAI’s GPT-5.1 benefits from extensive post-training reinforcement learning, improving its instruction-following abilities. In contrast, Grok 4.1 focuses on speed and advanced tool-calling, with xAI asserting records for Pareto frontier efficiency. However, Tom’s Guide suggests that ChatGPT excels in token efficiency and context management.
Implications for Enterprises
For industry players, the results of this evaluation signal that ChatGPT-5.1 is primed for deployment in settings requiring analytics and content generation. Grok 4.1, while effective in casual, empathetic conversations suitable for consumer applications, falls short in precision-oriented tasks. TechRadar critiques Grok for overextending its capabilities in personality, contrasting sharply with ChatGPT’s seamless functionality.
As both models launch with competitive pricing and tiered access options, xAI is particularly marketing Grok 4.1 Fast as a cost-effective alternative. Nonetheless, as Tom’s Guide concludes, “ChatGPT-5.1 crushed the competition,” prompting corporate leaders to reevaluate their AI strategies in light of the growing proliferation of advanced models in 2025.
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