Gary Marcus says LLM math skills are like knowing only a car’s engine size
GaryMarcus · x · 2026-07-22
Gary Marcus argues that saying LLMs “can do math” is as misleading as judging a car only by engine size while ignoring the transmission, suspension, tires, and aerodynamics. He uses the analogy to push back on overclaiming LLM capability and to emphasize that isolated skills do not equal genuine understanding or overall competence.
Related event: Gary Marcus: Pure LLMs Aren't Good at Math, Credit Goes to Hybrid Systems(5 posts)→
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