Maze test: a pure random generator beats AI model Jev, which loops 2,295 steps in a corner

karminski3 · x · 2026-09-21

A blogger pitted AI model Jev against a pure random decision server (Rust + xoshiro256++) in maze navigation, backed by Pólya's Random Walk Theorem. Jev got Manhattan distance hints, lastmove, and neighbor visited counts in its prompt—yet looped 2,295 of 2,306 steps in a 3-cell corner until timeout, stuck in local optimum because the distance heuristic always outranked the 'avoid over-visited cells' rule. The random server finished in 892 steps under 300ms. Conclusion: Jev is a speed machine that can lose to a coin flip on exploration tasks.

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