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I found an error I didn’t know about. ChatGPT 5 Instant refuses to understand how the sun works.

I found an error I didn’t know about. ChatGPT 5 Instant refuses to understand how the sun works.

Uncovering a Surprising Limitation in ChatGPT-5 Instant Mode: misunderstandings about the Sun

Recently, I encountered an unexpected challenge while exploring the capabilities of ChatGPT-5’s instant mode. During an interaction, I observed that the AI seemed to struggle with fundamental scientific concepts, specifically how the Sun functions. This experience highlights some important insights about the current AI’s strengths and limitations, especially regarding the different operational modes.

The Incident: From Auto to Instant Mode

Initially, I initiated a conversation in auto mode, which allows the AI to utilize a more comprehensive processing approach. Subsequently, I switched to instant mode, expecting a similar level of understanding but with quicker responses. However, the AI appeared to get “stuck” or provide misleading information until I explicitly activated a more thoughtful or “thinking” mode.

It was only after explicitly instructing the model to switch to thinking mode that it began to accurately grasp and explain how the Sun works. This process involved a back-and-forth exchange, some of which I have curated for clarity.

Sample Interaction

For those interested, here’s an example of the interaction that surfaced this issue:

[Link to shared conversation]

Additionally, in a longer dialogue, I received a surprisingly inaccurate “half a decade” approximation regarding solar phenomena, which, interestingly, only aligned with reality after engaging thinking mode:

[Link to extended shared conversation]

Implications and Broader Observations

This experience reveals that ChatGPT-5’s instant mode may not always reliably interpret or process scientific concepts without explicit prompts to engage its deeper reasoning capabilities. It suggests that, despite advances, the AI may have limitations in grasping certain straightforward physical truths unless directed to employ a more deliberate, “thinking” approach.

A Call for Community Input

Have any fellow users encountered similar issues, perhaps with other concepts or in different contexts? For example, there are reports of the AI misinterpreting emoji symbols such as the seahorse, indicating that it may struggle with certain visual or symbolic cues without proper context.

Your insights or shared experiences could help identify whether this is a broader pattern or isolated incidents.

Conclusion

While AI tools like ChatGPT-5 are powerful and rapidly advancing, their current limitations underscore the importance of understanding how to effectively prompt and interact with them. For more accurate and meaningful responses, especially on scientific topics, explicit activation of deeper reasoning modes seems beneficial.

Feel free to share your experiences or ask questions — together, we can

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