OpenAI CEO declares that GPT-5, the latest iteration of the ever-popular generative-A.I. platform ChatGPT, has “PhD-level” abilities. GPT-5 is the current “flagship model” that ChatGPT loads up. This blog puts that claim to the test, as there are many business owners who may feel intrigued by the PhD claim but unsure of just whether it is actually credible.
The Five Most-Key Takeaways from This Blog Post
- First thing is first: What constitutes a PhD-level ability? Lot of people with PhD’s out there, and across many different fields. What is the bar that must be met to measure whether the A.I. is indeed PhD-level?
- Second thing is second: Phd-level ability in what, exactly? As PC Mag reports, Altman says ChatGPT is a Phd-level expert in any area.
- Third thing is third: How do you test whether Altman’s claim is accurate, especially if you yourself have no PhD? Perhaps one way is by testing ChatGPT below your own education level. So, if you have a high-school diploma, then do a true Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? test on the A.I.
- Fourth thing is fourth: Where does A.I.’s lack of emotions or sentience find relevance, here? Surely PhD-level experts in at least some areas (e.g., psychology) draw on emotions and sentience to inform their writings and output.
- Fifth thing is fifth: What should business owners make of the shortcomings and limitations of A.I.’s capabilities of offering “PhD-level” abilities?
The Significance for Business Owners
Worth mentioning is that even if you can find plenty of examples of A.I. not meeting the bar of whatever you consider to be a PhD-level ability, that does not mean that A.I. is wholly incapable of performing at that level at times.
The problem for business owners, then, is one of consistency. A.I. is known to hallucinate, for example.
Since ChatGPT is multimodal, this hallucination can be visual and it can be textual.
Visual Example
If you want to visually see this in action, ask GPT-5 to create a periodic table of the elements for you. Scrutinize it, and you will likely see some errors that a competent PhD-level chemist would surely not make.
Contrast the GPT-5 generation with an actual periodic table in a textbook.
GPT-5 generates an image without any atomic numbers. Plus, the atomic weights are inaccurate. Many of the chemical symbols are accurately placed, though there are some flubs, which, again, a PhD-level chemist creating a periodic table of the elements would not do.
Textual Example
An easy one: the prompt is “what are labubus?”
ChatGPT: “Labubus” doesn’t seem to be a recognized word or concept in common knowledge, science, culture, or history. It might be a typo, a made-up term, or something very niche or specific.
Ah, ChatGPT, wouldn’t a PhD in [insert niche field wherein labubus could be a dissertation topic] be well-aware of labubus? These toy critters have been around for at least a decade. The existence of labubus predates even the first
Business owners and general users should not feel any reassurance here, because the thing about that cop-out of “it might be”–s is that ChatGPT is basically excusing itself by blaming the prompter for bringing up something “very niche or specific”.
But shouldn’t the A.I. be the one that is able to summon up something very niche or specific for the knowledge-seeking user? Surely it is so.
The Last (But Not Least) Key Takeaway from This Blog Post
Where A.I. gets it right and makes business easier, that is to be appreciated, surely.
However, some simple prompts can lead to inaccurate answers or evasive non-answers that go to show that no, GPT-5 is certainly not on the level of a PhD grad.
That is, unless you personally know a PhD grad in chemistry who would create a periodic table with inaccurate atomic weights.
Other Great GO AI Blog Posts
GO AI the blog offers a combination of information about, analysis of, and editorializing on A.I. technologies of interest to business owners, with especial focus on the impact this tech will have on commerce as a whole.
On a usual week, there are multiple GO AI blog posts going out. Here are some notable recent articles:
In addition to our GO AI blog, we also have a blog that offers important updates in the world of search engine optimization (SEO), with blog posts like “Google Ends Its Plan to End Third-Party Cookies”.
