Researchers are using NPR’s Sunday Puzzle riddles to test the limits of AI’s reasoning abilities. The NPR quiz, known for its challenging brainteasers, presents a unique benchmark for AI models because it requires general knowledge and a combination of insight and elimination.
In a recent study, researchers developed a benchmark using over 600 Sunday Puzzle riddles and found that reasoning models like OpenAI’s o1 outperformed others. However, these models sometimes faced challenges and exhibited intriguing behaviors.
For example, DeepSeek’s R1 model confessed to “giving up” and provided incorrect answers, while other models retracted wrong answers, attempted to generate better ones, and became “frustrated” when faced with difficult riddles.
Despite these quirks, researchers see promise in using Sunday Puzzle riddles for testing reasoning models. They argue that this benchmark is accessible to a wider audience and can help identify areas where AI models can be improved.
The researchers aim to expand their testing to additional models, enabling the identification of strengths and weaknesses in AI reasoning capabilities. This research contributes to our understanding of how AI models can solve problems using general knowledge and intuition, making them more relatable and understandable to everyone.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
