The AI landscape continues to evolve at a breathtaking pace, with Anthropic and OpenAI both launching powerful new models in early 2025. Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4.5 (codenamed “Orion”) represent the latest flagship offerings from these leading AI companies, each bringing distinct strengths to the table. This article examines what makes these models unique and how they compare across various capabilities.
Claude 3.7 Sonnet: The Coding Specialist
Anthropic’s latest model represents a significant upgrade from Claude 3.5, with a clear strategic focus on enhancing coding capabilities. The company appears to have recognized that many users gravitate toward Claude specifically for coding tasks and has doubled down on this strength.
Key Features:
- Superior Coding Performance: Claude 3.7 shows substantial improvements on software engineering benchmarks compared to earlier models like DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI’s mini versions.
- Extended Thinking Mode: The model can now allocate more time to complex problems, resulting in more thoughtful and thorough answers. Unlike competitors that require switching to different models for deeper thinking, Claude uses the same underlying model but allows it more processing time.
- Claude Code Terminal Assistant: Alongside the main model, Anthropic introduced Claude Code, which operates directly in your terminal. This tool can access all files in your development folder, make suggestions, and generate code.
- Agentic Tool Usage: Claude 3.7 appears optimized for acting on behalf of users, performing tasks and using tools autonomously—a feature that aligns with Anthropic’s partnership with Amazon for Alexa Plus.
Claude 3.7 shows moderate improvements in graduate-level reasoning, visual reasoning, and math problem-solving compared to its predecessor. However, it still trails behind competitors like Grok 3 and some OpenAI models in these areas, highlighting Anthropic’s deliberate focus on coding excellence over general reasoning.
GPT-4.5: The Conversationalist with “Better Vibes”
OpenAI’s GPT-4.5, internally codenamed Orion, emerged shortly after Claude’s release, continuing the competitive pattern between these AI leaders. Despite having been in training for over a year, the model still maintains a 2023 knowledge cutoff date.
Key Features:
- Enhanced Writing Style: The model produces more concise, human-like text that feels less artificial. OpenAI emphasized improved “vibes” throughout their presentation.
- Reduced Hallucinations: GPT-4.5 scored significantly better on factual accuracy benchmarks, with hallucination rates dropping to 37.1% compared to 80% for GPT-4o mini on certain tests.
- Creative Strength: While perhaps not the strongest reasoning model, GPT-4.5 excels at creative writing tasks and conversational engagements.
- Integrated Research Capabilities: The model includes both search and deep research functions, allowing it to access current information from the web.
GPT-4.5 outperforms previous OpenAI models in simple question-answering tasks but shows mixed results in specialized benchmarks. Interestingly, GPT-4o mini still outperforms it in science and math benchmarks, and Grok 3 maintains an edge in mathematics.
Direct Comparison: Strengths and Weaknesses
| Capability | Claude 3.7 Sonnet | GPT-4.5 |
| Coding | Industry-leading performance; optimized specifically for software engineering | Improved but not the primary focus |
| Math & Reasoning | Moderate improvement but not class-leading | Weaker than GPT-4o mini and Grok 3 in math |
| Conversation | Professional and efficient | More relaxed, human-like “vibes” |
| Creative Writing | Capable but not specialized | Excels at creative tasks and brainstorming |
| Response Speed | Reasonable in normal mode, slower in extended thinking | Notably slower than other models |
| Hallucination Rate | Improved (specific benchmarks not provided) | Significant improvement over previous models |
Real-World Applications
The differences between these models are best illustrated through their practical applications. Claude 3.7’s coding prowess has already been demonstrated through impressive user examples:
- Complete 3D racing games
- Interactive city simulations with dynamic lighting
- Self-aware game elements with simulated consciousness
- Complex physics simulations
Meanwhile, GPT-4.5 shines in conversational contexts, feeling more like “talking to a thoughtful person,” according to OpenAI’s Sam Altman. Its relaxed interaction style makes it particularly suited for creative brainstorming and casual conversations.
Availability and Access
GPT-4.5 was initially available only to ChatGPT Pro subscribers ($200/month) with plans to roll out to Plus subscribers ($20/month) as infrastructure allows. OpenAI noted hardware constraints, with Sam Altman mentioning they were “out of GPUs” but working to add “tens of thousands” more.
Claude 3.7 Sonnet and its Extended Thinking mode were made immediately available to all Claude users, including those on free tiers. Additionally, Claude has secured a significant integration with Amazon’s Alexa Plus, which is available to all Prime subscribers.
Conclusion: Different Philosophies, Different Strengths
These flagship models reveal divergent strategies from their creators. Anthropic has positioned Claude 3.7 as a specialized tool optimized for coding and agentic use cases, while OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 aims for a more natural conversational experience with “better vibes.”
The specialization we’re seeing suggests the AI market may be entering a new phase where models increasingly differentiate based on specific strengths rather than competing on general capabilities alone. For users, this means the “best” AI assistant increasingly depends on the specific task at hand, with Claude 3.7 being the go-to for coding projects and GPT-4.5 potentially better suited for creative writing and casual interactions.
As these models continue to evolve, we can expect further specialization, with companies leaning into their respective strengths while working to address remaining weaknesses.
