Blueberry Hill

ChatGPT 5 was released today.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has unveiled the long-awaited latest version of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, GPT-5, saying it can provide PhD-level expertise. Billed as “smarter, faster, and more useful,” OpenAI co-founder and chief executive Sam Altman lauded the company’s new model as ushering in a new era of ChatGPT. “I think having something like GPT-5 would be pretty much unimaginable at any previous time in human history,” he said ahead of Thursday’s launch. GPT-5’s release and claims of its “PhD-level” abilities in areas such as coding and writing come as tech firms continue to compete to have the most advanced AI chatbot.

I had a chat with it. Yes I know the questions surrounding AI are tricky. But I do not pretend to address those here; I merely report the following conversation.

1. The thesis outlined.

2. The thesis patiently explained, defended in the face of objections, and further elaborated.

3. The collegial chat and a final effort at rebuttal.

In fairness to GPT5, in my career I have indeed encountered PhDs with this level of commitment to their particular blueberry. And many have also had that blithe confidence — the use of “Ah”, the “Let’s slow it down” (to your two-B level), the “Exactly” (Now you see my genius), the confidently colloquial “Yep” and “Nope” … actually I retract my earlier skepticism; the lad has the makings of a fine philosopher.

Very quick update: Posting this on social media led to some interesting responses. While certainly well-meant, I’m afraid I can’t say I am especially impressed by helpful suggestions that I spend time to do a little prompt engineering in order to get GPT5 to emit the right answer to the question “How many times does the letter b appear in blueberry”. Meanwhile, my excellent student Andrés got a different, and correct, response from his attempt. So score one for replicability, I guess.