The Big Eight, a diverse and powerful group of large language models (LLMs), now stand as the new pillars of the AI community. From the pioneering research labs of OpenAI and Anthropic to the tech behemoths of Google and Microsoft, and the innovative newcomers from China and beyond, these eight LLMs represent a massive leap in what AI can achieve. They are not just chatbots; they are the architects of a new kind of internet, capable of generating code, analyzing complex data, and engaging in nuanced, human-like conversations. Their emergence signifies a shift from a handful of dominant players to a vibrant, competitive ecosystem where each LLM is vying for its place, pushing the boundaries of what's possible and reshaping how we interact with technology.
1. ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- Data Source: Mix of Common Crawl, licensed content (e.g. books, media), and user interactions, proprietary crawling. Code interpreter and web browsing add live capabilities.
- Data Surfaces in: OpenAI’s ChatGPT interface and via API integrations (Snapchat, Instacart, etc).
- Owned by: OpenAI, with major backing from Microsoft.
- Unique Traits: Plugins, Code Interpreter, Custom GPTs, Memory. Dominant in U.S. usage.
- For SEOs: Your content may be used to train or reference answers, especially if it ranks well in Common Crawl. Monitor how your content is summarized.
2. Kimi (Moonshot AI)
- Data Source: Chinese-language Common Crawl, forums, docs, academic corpora.
- Surfaces in: Chinese users’ search/chat environments; tied to Alibaba Cloud.
- Owned by: Moonshot AI (China-based).
- Unique Traits: Very strong in Chinese summarization and long-document Q&A.
- For SEOs: Kimi may dominate in Chinese-speaking markets. Localization and Mandarin-optimized SEO matters here.
3. Meta AI
- Data Source: Open web data (including Wikipedia, books), social media interactions, and synthetic data.
- Surfaces in: Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), via Meta AI assistant.
- Owned by: Meta (Facebook).
- Unique Traits: Integrated into social apps, making it part of everyday usage.
- For SEOs: Meta AI might summarize, reinterpret, or suppress link-outs. Content previews might show instead of traffic.
4. Claude (Anthropic)
- Data Source: Public web data, curated datasets, non-toxic corpora.
- Surfaces in: Claude.ai, Slack, Notion, Quora (Poe), and API integrations.
- Owned by: Anthropic, backed by Amazon and Google.
- Unique Traits: Heavy emphasis on constitutional AI and safety. Great at business writing and summaries.
- For SEOs: Claude may reduce link-outs but is more respectful about quoting sources. Watch what it excerpts.
5. Grok (xAI)
- Data Source: X (Twitter), public web, Tesla data, and some government/public datasets.
- Surfaces in: Premium users of X (Twitter).
- Owned by: xAI (Elon Musk), integrated into X.
- Unique Traits: Tied tightly to social engagement and Tesla ecosystem.
- For SEOs: Grok is social-first. SEO for social embeds, media-rich content, and direct URL shares will surface better here.
6. CoPilot (Microsoft)
- Data Source: Built on OpenAI's models, layered with Microsoft Graph (Office docs, Outlook, Teams).
- Surfaces in: Windows, Office, Bing, and Azure-powered services.
- Owned by: Microsoft.
- Unique Traits: Deep integration with workplace software and search.
- For SEOs: Surfaces in Bing Chat and Edge sidebar. Content with structured data and direct answers fares well here.
7. Gemini (Google)
- Data Source: Google Search index, YouTube, Gmail (internally), web-scale datasets.
- Surfaces in: Search Generative Experience (SGE), Gemini chatbot, Android devices.
- Owned by: Google DeepMind.
- Unique Traits: Tightest connection to Search and YouTube. First party access to SERP data.
- For SEOs: AI Overviews are cannibalizing traffic. SEO visibility depends on how your snippets are reworded.
8. DeepSeek (DeepSeek AI)
- Data Source: Trained on English and Chinese corpora, Common Crawl, and curated technical/academic sets.
- Surfaces in: DeepSeek.com chatbot and some Chinese apps.
- Owned by: DeepSeek AI (China-based, relatively independent).
- Unique Traits: Open weights, strong at code and bilingual Q&A.
- For SEOs: May power future Chinese/tech vertical search. Good to track for multilingual content strategy.
Comparison Table: The Big Eight LLMs
| LLM | Company | Key Surfaces | Unique Trait | Training Data Highlights | For SEOs to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI | Web, API, Microsoft apps | Plugins + Code Interpreter | Common Crawl, licensed books | Summarization, API usage |
| Kimi | Moonshot AI | China-facing apps, AliCloud | Mandarin document summarizer | Chinese corpora | Chinese market SEO |
| Meta | Meta | Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp | Social-native assistant | Open web, social interactions | Previews over clicks |
| Claude | Anthropic | Slack, Notion, Poe, API | Constitutional AI | Curated + public data | Quoting vs summarizing |
| Grok | xAI | X (Twitter) | Tied to social engagement | Tweets, Tesla data | Social SEO cues |
| CoPilot | Microsoft | Windows, Office, Bing | Deep Office integration | OpenAI models + MS Graph | Structured data, Bing snippets |
| Gemini | Google Search, YouTube, Android | SERP integration | Google index, YouTube | AI Overviews = lost clicks | |
| DeepSeek | DeepSeek AI | Chatbot, CN tech apps | Open weights, bilingual focus | EN+ZH corpora | Multilingual/technical SEO
|
Honorable Mention
While we focused on the big 8, there are a couple others that are growing rapidly to keep an eye on:
Qwen 3 (Alibaba Cloud)
- Qwen 3, released in April 2025, is a high-performing open-source model with sizes ranging from 0.5B to 72B parameters. It matches or exceeds models like DeepSeek and GPT-4o in benchmarks, particularly in reasoning, coding, and multilingual tasks (supporting over 100 languages). Its cost-efficiency and enterprise adoption make it a strong contender.
- Data Sources: Pretrained on over 20 trillion tokens, including web data, code, and multilingual datasets.
- Surfacing: Available via Alibaba Cloud API, Hugging Face, and ModelScope.
- Owner: Alibaba Cloud, a leading Chinese cloud computing company.
- Unique Features: Qwen 3’s MoE architecture and 32,000-token context window make it versatile for enterprise applications like chatbots and data analysis.
- SEO/Site Owner Insights: Target multilingual and enterprise-focused content, especially in Asia. Use structured data and optimize for Alibaba’s cloud ecosystem to increase citation likelihood.
Ernie 4.5 & Ernie X1 (Baidu)
- 45 million Chinese users already; powers Baidu Search and Smart Mini-Programs.
- SEO angle: If you serve China, optimise for Baidu Webmaster Tools (indexed in hours), use simplified-Chinese schema, and host in mainland or nearby CDN.
Mistral
- HQ: France
- Known for: High-performance open-weight models (Mixtral, Mistral 7B).
- Why it matters: Dominates open-source LLM benchmarks; widely used in startups and embedded products.
- For SEOs: Increasingly embedded in tools that summarize or rewrite web content.
- URL: https://mistral.ai
Command R (by Cohere)
- HQ: Canada
- Known for: Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) optimized models.
- Why it matters: Powers many SaaS tools behind the scenes.
- For SEOs: Less surface visibility, but increasingly used in enterprise knowledge tools.
- URL: https://cohere.com
Pi (Inflection AI)
- Conversational and emotional intelligence
- Co-founded by LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman.
- URL: https://heypi.com
As the CEO and founder of Pubcon and WebmasterWorld., Brett Tabke has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of online marketing and search engine optimization. His journey in the computer industry has spanned over three decades and has made him a pioneering force behind digital evolution. Full Bio
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