Gemini vs Claude Context Window SECRETS for AI Orchestration



AI Summary

This video discusses critical differences between Gemini and Claude AI models when building multi-agent orchestrations, focusing on their context window limitations and how to prompt them effectively.

Key Points:

Context Window Differences:

  • Gemini: 1 million context window - can effectively “read documents” and maintain contextual understanding
  • Claude: 200k context window - more limited and requires different prompting strategies

Gemini Prompting Strategy:

  • Can tell Gemini to “look at these three documents” for complete contextual understanding
  • Works well with external document references due to large context window
  • Can handle complex multi-document tasks effectively

Claude Prompting Challenges:

  • The Problem: When told to reference external files, Claude reads them but then forgets the initial context as it processes more files
  • Result: Claude enters loops and fails to maintain coherent understanding
  • Root Cause: 200k context window limitation prevents effective memory of past context

Correct Claude Prompting Strategy:

  • Embed everything in the prompt: All necessary information must be included directly in the prompt itself
  • Avoid external references: Don’t guide Claude to other documents or files for information
  • Self-contained prompts: Each prompt should contain all context needed for the task
  • No past memory reliance: Claude doesn’t effectively remember previous context due to window limitations

Best Practices for Multi-Agent Orchestrations:

  • Always consider the specific model’s context window limitations at every point in your orchestration
  • Tailor prompting strategies to each model’s strengths and limitations
  • Bad prompting often stems from not accounting for model-specific constraints
  • Design your AI agent flows with model capabilities in mind

Common Mistakes:

  • Using the same prompting strategy for different models
  • Not considering context window limitations when designing agent workflows
  • Expecting Claude to maintain long-term context like models with larger windows