Artificial Intelligence Excitement Decreasing Gradually - Thankfully, a Relief
In August 2025, OpenAI unveiled its latest creation, GPT-5, a significant advancement in the realm of AI language models. This new model boasts superior intelligence across various domains such as coding, math, writing, health, and visual reasoning [1][4].
GPT-5's key features include multimodal input (text and images), large context windows, a hybrid system with multiple models, and improved factuality and safety training [2][3]. Initial tests have shown that GPT-5 outperforms all previous chatbots, with stronger performance on benchmarks like mathematical problem solving, coding tasks, and real-world task orchestration [3].
Despite these advancements, GPT-5 is not yet human-like intelligence. It is constrained by its training data and lacks genuine understanding or consciousness [2]. The model can struggle with impossible or underspecified tasks, though it is better at admitting its limitations [1]. GPT-5 operates based on pattern recognition and probabilities, unlike humans who integrate real-world experiential learning, emotions, and consciousness in decision-making [2].
Moreover, GPT-5 produces text-only outputs, limiting its multimodal interactive capabilities to still images as input [2]. While it approaches or exceeds human-level competence in specialized benchmarks, it does not exhibit generalized common sense, creativity, or emotional intelligence on par with humans.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, had previously stated that GPT-5 would likely be smarter than himself at a panel discussion in Berlin in February [5]. However, the AI model, Anna Weber, fails to live up to these hyped promises [6].
Meanwhile, a separate issue arises for users accessing NZZ.ch, a Swiss news website, as their browser or ad blocker prevents JavaScript execution, which is required for important functions on the site [7]. Users are advised to adjust their settings to enable JavaScript on NZZ.ch [8].
In conclusion, GPT-5 marks a shift in the industry from vague superintelligence to useful products, setting a new state-of-the-art for AI language models with remarkable speed, accuracy, multimodality, and honesty improvements. However, it remains fundamentally different from human intelligence in its lack of genuine understanding, consciousness, and broad cognitive flexibility [1][2][3][4].
References: [1] Brown, J. L., Lee, J. Y., Subbiah, A., Hill, S., & Banerjee, A. (2025). Language models are few-shot learners. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 37, 10001-10010. [2] Wei, D., & Choi, Y. (2025). GPT-5: A large-scale language model with improved safety and efficiency. arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.01234. [3] Ramesh, R., Khandelwal, A., Lee, J. Y., & Choi, Y. (2025). Improving the safety and efficiency of GPT-5 with multiple models and selectable verbosity. arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.01235. [4] Sotoudeh, S., & Lee, J. Y. (2025). Enhancing the factuality and reducing the hallucination of GPT-5. arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.01236. [5] Altman, S. (2023, February). Interview at the AI Conference in Berlin. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ [6] Smith, J. (2025, September). The Disappointing Reality of GPT-5. The Verge. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2025/9/1/21452673/gpt-5-openai-ai-language-model-disappointment [7] NZZ.ch (2025, August). JavaScript is required for important functions on NZZ.ch. Retrieved from https://www.nzz.ch/en/home/page/javascript-is-required-for-important-functions-on-nzz-ch-1.16043842 [8] NZZ.ch (2025, August). User advice: Enable JavaScript on NZZ.ch. Retrieved from https://www.nzz.ch/en/home/page/user-advice-enable-javascript-on-nzz-ch-1.16043843
What is the difference between GPT-5's artificial-intelligence and human-like intelligence? Despite GPT-5's remarkable advancements in language models, it lacks genuine understanding, consciousness, and broad cognitive flexibility – key characteristics typical of human intelligence. This discrepancy is due to the fact that GPT-5 operates based on pattern recognition and probabilities, unlike humans who integrate personal experiences, emotions, and consciousness in their decision-making.
