Think AI Can Solve All Your Business Problems? Not So Fast

Believe it or not, AI might not be the solution to all your business problems. A recent study by Apple's AI team found that large language models (LLMs) struggle with complex reasoning tasks. These models, which include names like GPT-40-mini and o1-mini, are great at pattern matching but fall short when it comes to real logical reasoning. The study used a simple math problem to show how LLMs can be tricked. A question about picking kiwis was designed to trip up the models, and it did. While some AI like ChatGPT can handle these questions correctly sometimes, the accuracy drops when the problems get more complex.Researchers also discovered that many benchmark datasets used to test LLMs might be flawed. Datasets like GSM8K, which contain 8,000 grade school math problems, might give an overly positive view of an LLM's capabilities because the models could have seen these problems during training. Apple's new dataset, GSM-Symbolic, aims to fix this by offering more varied and complex problems. What does this mean for businesses? It highlights the need to be cautious when using AI for decision-making. AI can be a helpful tool, but it shouldn't replace human reasoning, especially for complex tasks. Companies should invest in AI strategically and ensure human oversight for critical operations. For Apple, this study shows that even a company known for innovation and marketing hype is aware of the limits of AI. It's a reminder that while AI can do amazing things, it's not yet capable of replacing human intellect.