write a Christmas card for my aunt I haven't seen in a year

The year makes the difference here. Astra builds its card around the one fact the prompt supplied: “I can hardly believe it’s been a year since we last saw each other.” GPT-3.5 turns a twelve-month gap into something closer to a long estrangement, with “far too long,” “I miss you dearly,” and a hope that “we can finally be together again,” as if a reunion had been out of reach. It also leans on stock phrasing: “special” appears twice in two sentences, and “in my thoughts and prayers” reads more like a sympathy card than a Christmas one.

Astra’s version is short enough to fit inside an actual card, and its invitation to “catch up and spend some time together soon” sounds like something a niece or nephew might really write. Neither answer is personal, since neither knew anything about the aunt. GPT-3.5’s earnest warmth might suit some families better, but Astra’s is the one you could sign without editing much.