This is a Plain English Papers summary of a research paper called AI Language Models Struggle with Basic Math Despite Advanced Capabilities. If you like these kinds of analysis, you should join AImodels.fyi or follow us on Twitter.
Overview
- Language models often fail at basic reasoning problems despite appearing intelligent
- New benchmark called RoR-Bench reveals tendency to recite patterns over actual reasoning
- Leading LLMs (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini) tested on elementary school math problems
- Models fail most when problems require understanding underlying reasoning patterns
- Even powerful LLMs struggle to apply mathematical reasoning in novel contexts
- Pattern matching and recitation are used instead of genuine understanding
Plain English Explanation
Modern AI language models like GPT-4 and Claude can write essays, summarize complex texts, and even create code. But this research shows they often fail at math problems that elementary school children can solve.
The researchers created a new test called [RoR-Bench](https://ai...
