Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Prime Day Deals LIVE Prime Day TV Deals Prime Day Laptop Deals Switch 2 Restock Best laptops Wordle Today Best Mattress Recommended reading I've been using ChatGPT for over 2 years — these 5 prompts show how far it's come I’ve tested ChatGPT for everything — and it still fails at this I just tested the newest versions of ChatGPT vs Gemini vs DeepSeek vs Claude — and the winner completely surprised me What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)? Everything you need to know What is generative AI? Everything you need to know ChatGPT future just revealed — get ready for a ‘super assistant’ I tested ChatGPT vs Midjourney V7 with 7 AI image prompts — it wasn’t even close Study reveals ChatGPT and other AI systems lag behind humans in one essential skill — and it's entirely unique Alex Hughes 16 July 2025 Finally, a win for us humans! When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) ChatGPT seems to be outpacing us at every turn. The AI chatbot is a better poet, mathematician, and coder than we are. But don’t worry, researchers at the University of Amsterdam have identified a point where AI lags behind humans and it's all to do with a simple concept our brains grapple with on a daily basis. When you see a mountain path, a busy road or meandering river, your brain can instantly determine how to navigate it, whether that be by walking, swimming, cycling or even arriving at the conclusion it's not possible to pass. This decision-making process is possible because of unique brain patterns. Normally, AI is pretty good at replicating human decision-making, but not in this case. You may like I've been using ChatGPT for over 2 years — these 5 prompts show how far it's come I’ve tested ChatGPT for everything — and it still fails at this I just tested the newest versions of ChatGPT vs Gemini vs DeepSeek vs Claude — and the winner completely surprised me "AI models turned out to be less good at this and still have a lot to learn from the efficient human brain," said Iris Groen, a computational neuroscientist who led the study. How human brains navigate (Image credit: Universiteit Van Amsterdam) The team utilised MRI scanners to try to understand what happens in the brain in these navigational situations. Brain scans were taken while participants looked at various photos of both indoor and outdoor environments. Each participant was told to use a button, indicating if the image invited them to walk, cycle, drive, swim, boat, or climb. While they were set this task, their brains were analysed. “We wanted to know: when you look at a scene, do you mainly see what is there, such as objects or colours, or do you also automatically see what you can do with it,’ says Groen. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The answer, they found, was both. Participants' brain activity showed that they recognised both what was in the image and how to interact with it. “Even if you do not consciously think about what you can do in an environment, your brain still registers it,” says Groen. Why can’t AI understand environmental navigation? (Image credit: Shutterstock) The team of scientists wanted to see how well AI algorithms compared to the human brain in this test. They used image recognition models and GPT-4. In the tests, they were worse at predicting possible actions. "When trained specifically for action recognition, they could somewhat approximate human judgments, but the human brain patterns didn’t match the models’ internal calculations," says Groen. ChatGPT doesn’t have to cross rivers or navigate busy streets. However, as AI becomes more and more prevalent, these kinds of problems will arise more. This didn’t just occur with standard AI models without training. Even leading AI models didn’t give exactly the same answers as humans, despite the task being so normal for us. But why does any of this matter? ChatGPT doesn’t have to cross rivers or navigate busy streets. However, as AI becomes more and more prevalent, these kind of problems will arise more. AI chatbots are rolling out live video and audio discussions, and AI is finding its way into other areas like self-driving cars, robotics, and healthcare. As the technology gets more advanced, we are discovering areas where AI struggles to think in a human capacity. In other words, it struggles to interact with a world in the way it has been designed. ChatGPT and its competitors will likely quickly work out how to navigate environments. But in the meantime, feel some pride in the fact that you are smarter than an all-knowing chatbot when it comes to navigating across a rocky hill. As the technology gets more advanced, we are discovering areas where AI struggles to think in a human capacity. In other words, it struggles to interact with a world in the way it has been designed. ChatGPT and its competitors will likely quickly work out how to navigate environments. But in the meantime, feel some pride in the fact that you are smarter than an all-knowing chatbot when it comes to navigating across a rocky hill. More from Tom's Guide I tried these 5 ChatGPT prompts that can level up your hobbies — here's the results New study reveals ChatGPT is changing how we talk, text and write — here's how Claude can now connect to Google Drive, Canva, Slack and more — here’s how to try it Back to Laptops AMD Ryzen 7 Intel Core i3 Intel Core i5 Intel Core i7 Storage Size Screen Size Refurbished Screen Type Storage Type Showing 10 of 138 deals Apple 13" MacBook Air M4 (2025) (256GB Blue) $849Preorder Apple 15" MacBook Air M4 (2025) (15-inch 1TB) $1,599View Dell XPS 13 (2016) Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 9) (512GB OLED) $858.11View Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i ChromeBook Plus (14-inch 2TB) $499.99View Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) (14-inch 1TB) $1,849View Apple 13" MacBook Air M4 (2025) Apple 15" MacBook Air M4 (2025) (16GB RAM SSD) $1,035View Dell XPS 13 Plus (13.4-inch) $909.99View Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 9) $979.99View Alex Hughes Social Links Navigation Alex is the AI editor at TomsGuide. Dialed into all things artificial intelligence in the world right now, he knows the best chatbots, the weirdest AI image generators, and the ins and outs of one of tech’s biggest topics. Before joining the Tom’s Guide team, Alex worked for the brands TechRadar and BBC Science Focus. He was highly commended in the Specialist Writer category at the BSME's 2023 and was part of a team to win best podcast at the BSME's 2025. In his time as a journalist, he has covered the latest in AI and robotics, broadband deals, the potential for alien life, the science of being slapped, and just about everything in between. When he’s not trying to wrap his head around the latest AI whitepaper, Alex pretends to be a capable runner, cook, and climber. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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