Five LLMs analyze news events

It's interesting to see how some of the different LLMs handle current news events when they all receive the same prompt.

In an HTML table. Compare and contrast the cases of Bernie Goetz and Daniel Penny.

Penny was found not guilty by the jury earlier today, but it seems that none of the LLMs know about that update yet. I give the win to Grok. Here's my overall ranking:

1. Grok
2. ChatGPT
3. Gemini
4. Brave -> Claude
5. Brave -> Llama

To be fair, Grok is the only one where I have a subscription, so maybe it's not fair to compare a paid version against four free versions. ChatGPT vs. Gemini was nearly a toss-up. Both of the Brave options made basic factual errors. (Claude got the year wrong, and Llama missed Goetz' conviction on a firearm charge.)

Also, I think Brave Llama hallucinated part of its answer. Finally, I asked for HTML, but both of the Brave versions gave me markdown.

Brave Leo -> Claude Haiku

Criteria	Bernie Goetz	Daniel Penny
Incident	In 1984, Goetz shot and wounded four young Black men on a New York City subway, claiming they were attempting to rob him.	In 2022, Penny restrained Jordan Neely, a homeless Black man, on a New York City subway, leading to Neely's death.
Charges	Goetz was initially charged with attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. He was later acquitted of all charges except for carrying an unlicensed firearm.	Penny was charged with manslaughter in the second degree, criminally negligent homicide, and assault in the second degree.
Public Perception	Goetz's actions were seen by some as a justified response to a perceived threat, while others viewed it as a racially motivated shooting. The case sparked debates about self-defense and gun rights.	Penny's actions were criticized as an unnecessary use of force against a vulnerable individual. The case raised concerns about the treatment of homeless and mentally ill individuals.
Outcomes	Goetz served 8 months in jail for the weapons charge. He was later sued in civil court and ordered to pay $43 million in damages, though he never paid the full amount.	Penny's case is still ongoing, with the legal proceedings and public discourse continuing to unfold.

Brave Leo -> Llama

Aspect	Bernie Goetz (1984)	Daniel Penny (2023)
Incident	Goetz shot four black teenagers who were allegedly harassing him on a New York City subway train.	Penny fatally punched ( <-- hallucination? ) a black man, Jordan Neely, on a New York City subway platform after Neely allegedly began harassing him.
Self-Defense Claim	Goetz claimed he shot the teenagers in self-defense, but his trial revealed that he had a history of mental health issues and had been stalking the teenagers. ( <-- hallucination? )	Penny claimed he acted in self-defense, but witnesses and video footage suggested that Neely was not a threat. ( <-- hallucination? )
Investigation and Charges	Goetz was acquitted of all charges due to a lack of evidence and concerns about racial bias in the prosecution.	Penny was initially charged with manslaughter, but the charges were later downgraded to a misdemeanor after a grand jury declined to indict him ( <-- hallucination? ).
Public Reaction	The Goetz case sparked widespread outrage and debate about racial bias in the justice system.	The Penny case has also raised concerns about racial bias and the use of force in self-defense situations.

Grok

Aspect	Bernie Goetz	Daniel Penny
Date of Incident	December 22, 1984	May 1, 2023
Location	NYC Subway (IRT Express, downtown No. 2 train)	NYC Subway (uptown F train)
Action Taken	Goetz shot four young Black men with a .38 caliber handgun.	Penny applied a chokehold to Jordan Neely, leading to Neely's death.
Reason for Action	Goetz claimed self-defense, believing the youths intended to rob him.	Penny claimed he was protecting other passengers from Neely's erratic behavior.
Victim(s)	Four Black teenagers (Troy Canty, Barry Allen, James Ramseur, Darrell Cabey)	Jordan Neely, a Black homeless man known for performing as a Michael Jackson impersonator.
Outcome of Incident	All four youths survived, but Darrell Cabey was left paralyzed and brain-damaged.	Jordan Neely died as a result of the chokehold.
Legal Charges	Charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment, and weapons possession. Convicted only of carrying an unlicensed firearm.	Charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
Public Reaction	Divided; some hailed Goetz as a vigilante hero, others criticized him for racial motivations.	Also divided; some considered Penny a hero for intervening, while others saw it as an overreach.
Legal Outcome	Acquitted of attempted murder, served eight months for the weapons charge.	Trial ongoing as of December 2024, with closing arguments having begun.
Civil Lawsuits	Darrell Cabey won a $43 million civil judgment against Goetz in 1996.	No information on civil lawsuits at this stage, as the criminal trial is still underway.
Context of Time	1980s NYC with high crime rates, fear of subway crime.	Recent NYC with ongoing debates about subway safety and mental health issues.
Racial Dynamics	Racial tension highlighted due to Goetz being white and the victims Black; accusations of racism.	Similar racial dynamics; Penny is white, Neely was Black, raising issues of race in public perception and legal proceedings.

Google Gemini

Feature	Bernie Goetz (1984)	Daniel Penny (2023)
Victim	Four young Black men	Jordan Neely, a homeless Black man
Perpetrator's Action	Shot four individuals on a subway train	Placed a chokehold on an individual on a subway train
Perpetrator's Justification	Claimed self-defense against an attempted robbery	Claimed self-defense and defense of others from a perceived threat
Legal Outcome	Convicted of illegal weapons possession, acquitted of assault charges	Charged with manslaughter
Public Perception	Initially seen as a vigilante hero by some, later viewed more critically	Generated significant controversy and debate about self-defense, mental health, and racial bias
Key Differences	Involved a firearm, multiple victims, and racial tensions	Involved a chokehold, a single victim, and broader societal issues

ChatGPT

Comparison: Bernie Goetz and Daniel Penny Comparison of the Bernie Goetz and Daniel Penny Cases

Aspect	Bernie Goetz	Daniel Penny
Date of Incident	December 22, 1984	May 1, 2023
Location	New York City Subway	New York City Subway
Key Participants	Bernie Goetz (shooter) and four Black teenagers	Daniel Penny (Marine veteran) and Jordan Neely
Actions Taken	Goetz shot four teenagers who allegedly attempted to rob him.	Penny placed Neely in a chokehold after Neely was acting erratically and allegedly threatening passengers.
Motivation	Claimed self-defense against a perceived robbery attempt.	Claimed self-defense and defense of others against a perceived threat.
Outcome of Actions	The four teenagers were injured, one paralyzed.	Jordan Neely died as a result of the chokehold.
Legal Charges	Charged with attempted murder and assault; convicted of illegal gun possession.	Charged with second-degree manslaughter.
Public Reaction	Goetz was seen as both a vigilante hero and as someone who acted with racial bias.	Penny's actions sparked debates over self-defense, mental health, and racial bias.
Broader Implications	The case highlighted concerns about crime in New York City and vigilantism.	The case reignited debates about mental health care, homelessness, and public safety.