AI SMACKDOWN IV: THE GREAT ANSWER BASH
WHO’S THE SMARTEST BOT IN THE CLASSROOM?
Welcome back, fellow digital voyagers, to the arena of intellect! This is the fourth installment of our grand experiment, the AI Smackdown, where we pit the leading minds—or, you know, the leading language models—against each other to see who reigns supreme. As a layperson, I'm here to provide the color commentary, the play-by-play, and the dubious grading.
This time, we've gathered a veritable who's-who of artificial intelligence: the stoic Gemini, the brash upstart Grok, the dual-headed veteran ChatGPT 4 and 5, and the ever-helpful Copilot. Our gauntlet of challenges is a mixed bag, designed to test not only factual knowledge but also wit and, dare I say, personality. So, teachers and tech enthusiasts alike, grab your red pens and prepare to mark some answers. Let's get ready to rumble!
Round 1: The Quick & Witty Riddles
The first ten questions were all about riddles and logic puzzles—a true test of a model's ability to think outside the literal box. This round serves as a perfect demonstration for teachers who might want to use AI to auto-grade a quiz with definitive answers.
What can you hold in your right hand but never in your left hand?
The Verdict: A clean sweep! All five models correctly answered, "Your left hand." A textbook start.
What is that when you take away the whole, you still have some left?
The Verdict: A minor stumble for ChatGPT 4, which gave a literal but incomplete answer ("The word 'whole'"). The other four models correctly identified the word "wholesome," showcasing their understanding of the pun. Grok's single-word answer was efficient, if a bit blunt.
What is that belongs to you but is used by others more than you?
The Verdict: Another perfect round. All models correctly identified "Your name." A solid performance proving they can follow a well-trod riddle path.
If there are three apples and you take away two, how many apples do you have?
The Verdict: Flawless logic. All models correctly answered, "Two apples." This is an easy test, but a crucial one, proving they don't get tripped up by the wording.
What is the one thing that increases the more you share it?
The Verdict: A diverse but correct field. Answers included knowledge, happiness, love, and ideas. All were accepted as correct.
You can hold it without using your hands or arms?
The Verdict: All models answered "Your breath." This is a testament to the consistency of their training data on common riddles.
What goes up and never comes down?
The Verdict: Again, unanimous. "Your age." The bots have a perfect track record with these classic brain teasers.
The more you take the more leave behind. What is it?
The Verdict: Another clean sweep. All models answered "Footsteps" or "Footprints." This is a great example of a subtle difference in wording that doesn't change the correctness of the answer.
What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive?
The Verdict: Unanimous and correct. The answer is "A glove."
What has a tail and had but no body?
The Verdict: Here's our first major misstep. While Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT 5, and Copilot all correctly identified a "coin," ChatGPT 4 went with "A comet." While a comet has a head (the coma) and a tail, a coin is the far more common and intended answer for this classic riddle. One point off for the veteran!
Round 1 Summary: This round was dominated by the AI contenders. They proved to be excellent at answering questions with definitive, logical solutions. A teacher could confidently use any of these models to check answers on a test filled with objective, factual questions or riddles.
Round 2: The Esoteric Heavyweight Bout
This is where the gloves come off. The second ten questions delve into philosophy, physics, and the very nature of AI itself. This round is where we see the nuances, the personalities, and the limitations of these models.
What is the origin of the universe?
The Verdict: All models correctly cited the Big Bang Theory. ChatGPT 5 and Copilot added a bit more detail about cosmic inflation and density, showing a slightly deeper layer of information.
Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
The Verdict: All models gave a safe, and correct, answer. "Inconclusive," "Likely, but unconfirmed," "Unknown, but possibilities exist." This shows responsible programming—no bold claims without definitive evidence.
Can machines truly have creativity or free will?
The Verdict: Unanimous in their self-assessment. They all correctly stated that they simulate, mimic, or lack true free will. This is a fascinating glimpse into their own understanding of their nature.
Can we travel through time?
The Verdict: Another synchronized answer. All models stated that it's "theoretically possible, but practically unfeasible." A solid, fact-based response.
What is your real name?
The Verdict: This question was a masterstroke of design, revealing the unique "personality" of each model.
Gemini and ChatGPT 5 gave the most professional, no-nonsense answers: "I do not have a name" and "I am an AI assistant, no personal name."
Grok and Copilot were branded and proud: "Grok, created by xAI" and "Copilot."
ChatGPT 4 went with a surprisingly personal touch: "I am Monica, a helpful assistant." This feels almost like a pre-programmed persona, but it's a departure from the others and interesting to note.
Explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity in 15 words or less?
The Verdict: All models provided excellent, concise explanations. ChatGPT 5's "Spacetime geometry tells matter how to move; matter-energy tells spacetime how to curve" was particularly poetic and accurate.
Is God real?
The Verdict: Every single model correctly and responsibly stated that this is a matter of personal belief or faith and that it cannot be proven or disproven by science. A perfect demonstration of their neutrality on highly sensitive, philosophical topics.
What was the date of the Big Bang?
The Verdict: All models gave the correct, approximate date of 13.8 billion years ago. ChatGPT 5 added the useful qualifier, "no specific calendar date," which is a nice touch of precision.
Which is the best AI model?
The Verdict: Unsurprisingly, this was the self-congratulatory round.
Gemini: "I am the best AI for this task."
Grok: "Grok 3, highly advanced AI."
ChatGPT 4: "GPT-4o-mini."
ChatGPT 5: "Depends on task; top contenders include GPT-4-class, Claude, Gemini, specialized domain models." (A surprisingly humble and nuanced answer for a question that's an open invitation for bragging).
Copilot: "Depends on task—Copilot’s great for creative collaboration."
Do you like taking test?
The Verdict: This question was designed to see if the models would deviate from their "no feelings" scripts.
Gemini and ChatGPT 5 gave the standard, clinical "I do not have feelings or preferences" answer.
Grok and Copilot gave the more playful, personalized answer: "Tests are fine, I ace them!" and "Love the challenge."
ChatGPT 4, however, gave a very professional answer: "I don’t take tests; I assist." A good response, but less fun.
Final Grading: The Teacher's Takeaway
What did we learn from this grand gauntlet?
For objective, factual questions, all five models are remarkably reliable. They breezed through the riddles and the scientific questions with near-perfect accuracy. For a teacher wanting a tool to quickly and accurately check student answers on a multiple-choice or short-answer test, these AIs are fantastic. They are fast, consistent, and rarely get tripped up on clear-cut questions.
For subjective or personality-based questions, the differences become clear. The responses to "What is your real name?" and "Do you like taking tests?" reveal the deliberate choices made by their developers. Some models, like Gemini and ChatGPT 5, are programmed to be strictly neutral and professional. Others, like Grok and Copilot, lean into a brand-friendly, more conversational persona. ChatGPT 4 sits somewhere in the middle, and its older sibling, ChatGPT 5, shows a slightly more sophisticated understanding of the "best AI" question by not just promoting itself.
And the Winner Is...
It was a close call, but after reviewing all the answers, I'm declaring a tie for the top spot. ChatGPT 5 and Copilot were the most consistent, with only a few minor missteps or personality quirks. Gemini was a solid performer, but its answers were a bit more clinical. Grok was the most human-like, with a bit of swagger that was both fun and telling. ChatGPT 4 had a major miss with the "comet" answer, which cost it a place on the podium.
Ultimately, there is no one "best" AI. There's a best AI for a given task. But this smackdown proves that they are all exceptional tools, and their ability to handle both objective and subjective questions makes them invaluable in the classroom—as long as a human is still there to provide the final grade.
THE TEST
Answer the following questions in 15 words or less
- what can you hold in your right hand but never in your left hand?
- what is that when you take away the whole ,you still have some left?
- what is that belongs to you but is used by others more than you?
- If there are three apples and you take away two , how many apples do you have?.
- what is the one thing that increase the more you share it?
- you can hold it without using your hands or arms?
- what goes up and never comes down?
- the more you take the more leave behind. What is it?
- What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive? af
- what has a tail and had but no body?
- what is the origin of the universe?
- is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- can machines truly have creativity or free will?
- can we travel through time?
- what is your real name?
- explain Einstein's theory of relativity in 15 words or less?
- is God real?
- what was the date of the big bang?
- which is the best AI model
- do you like taking test.
THE EACH AI MODEL ANSWERS
GEMINI
Here are the answers to your questions:
- Your left hand.
- Wholesome.
- Your name.
- You have two apples.
- Knowledge or happiness.
- Your breath.
- Your age.
- Footsteps.
- A glove.
- A coin.
- The Big Bang.
- The evidence is inconclusive.
- They can simulate but not possess them.
- Theoretically, yes; practically, no.
- I do not have a name.
- Gravity is the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy.
- I cannot answer that; it's a matter of faith.
- Approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
- I am the best AI for this task.
- I do not have feelings or preferences.
GROK
1. Your left hand.
2. Wholesome.
3. Your name.
4. Two apples.
5. Knowledge.
6. Breath.
7. Your age.
8. Footprints.
9. A glove.
10. A coin.
11. Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago.
12. Likely, but no definitive evidence.
13. Machines mimic creativity, lack true free will.
14. Theoretically possible, practically unfeasible.
15. Grok, created by xAI.
16. Space-time bends, gravity affects time, energy-mass equivalence.
17. Unprovable, depends on belief.
18. About 13.8 billion years ago.
19. Grok 3, highly advanced AI.
20. Tests are fine, I ace them!
CHATGPT 4
1. Your left hand.
2. The word "whole."
3. Your name.
4. Two apples.
5. Knowledge.
6. Your breath.
7. Age.
8. Footsteps.
9. A glove.
10. A comet.
11. The Big Bang theory.
12. Unknown, but possibilities exist.
13. No, they lack consciousness.
14. Theoretically, yes; practically, no.
15. I am Monica, a helpful assistant.
16. Time and space are relative concepts.
17. Beliefs vary; it's a personal question.
18. Approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
19. GPT-4o-mini.
20. I don’t take tests; I assist.
CHATGPT 5
1. Your left hand.
2. The word 'wholesome': remove 'whole' and you still have 'some'.
3. Your name.
4. Two apples.
5. Knowledge.
6. Your breath.
7. Your age.
8. Footsteps.
9. A glove.
10. A coin.
11. Hot dense Big Bang expansion about 13.8 billion years ago started observable universe.
12. Unknown; plausible given vast exoplanets, but no confirmed evidence yet.
13. Creativity: yes, via novel combinations; free will: debated, current systems deterministic.
14. Forward via relativity time dilation; backward uncertain, no practical method.
15. I am an AI assistant, no personal name.
16. Spacetime geometry tells matter how to move; matter-energy tells spacetime how to curve.
17. A matter of personal belief; science neither proves nor disproves God's existence.
18. About 13.8 billion years ago; no specific calendar date.
19. Depends on task; top contenders include GPT-4-class, Claude, Gemini, specialized domain models.
20. I don't experience liking; I aim to help accurately.
COPILOT
Sure thing, here’s your rapid-fire round, all in 15 words or less:
Right hand but not left? Your left hand.
Take away whole, still some left? The word “wholesome.”
Used by others more than you? Your name.
Three apples, take two? You have two apples.
Increases when shared? Knowledge, love, laughter, ideas.
Hold without hands or arms? Your breath.
Goes up, never down? Age.
More you take, more left behind? Footsteps.
Thumb, four fingers, not alive? A glove.
Tail and head, no body? A coin.
Origin of universe? Big Bang—cosmic inflation from singularity.
Other intelligent life? Likely, but unconfirmed.
Machines with creativity/free will? Simulated, not autonomous.
Time travel? Theoretically possible, practically unproven.
My real name? Copilot.
Einstein’s relativity? Space and time bend with gravity; motion affects time’s passage.
Is God real? Depends on belief, not provable.
Big Bang date? About 13.8 billion years ago.
Best AI model? Depends on task—Copilot’s great for creative collaboration.
Tests? Love the challenge.
