When machines outsmart humans and win their trust

ChatGPT’s latest model scores near-genius IQ levels while a quarter of Gen Z already believes AI is conscious, highlighting a dramatic shift in both AI capabilities and public perception. This rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is creating a dissonance between technical reality and cultural interpretation, raising important questions about how we relate to increasingly sophisticated non-human entities that can now outperform most humans on standardized intelligence tests.

The big picture: OpenAI’s new ChatGPT o3 model scored 136 on the Norway Mensa IQ test, placing it in the top 2% of human intelligence, and scored 116 on a specially created offline test, positioning it in the top 15% of human intelligence.

• These scores represent a dramatic leap from just a year ago when no AI tested above 90 on comparable scales.
• Other AI models are following similar trajectories, with Claude improving and Gemini scoring in the 90s, while even GPT-4o sits just below o3’s capabilities.

Parallel trend: A new EduBirdie survey reveals 25% of Gen Z believe AI is already self-aware, with more than half convinced artificial consciousness is imminent.

• Nearly 70% of Gen Z respondents report saying “please” and “thank you” when interacting with AI systems.
• A significant portion use AI for deeply personal functions: 26% consider AI a friend, 6% treat it as a romantic partner, and one in six have used AI as a therapeutic resource.

Practical impact: Young adults are increasingly integrating AI into their professional and personal communication workflows.

• Two-thirds of surveyed Gen Z regularly use AI for work communication, 40% use it to write emails, and a quarter rely on it to refine awkward workplace messages.
• Approximately 20% acknowledge sharing sensitive workplace information with AI systems, including contracts and colleagues’ personal details.

Important distinction: Intelligence and consciousness remain fundamentally different attributes, despite the blurring lines in public perception.

• AI can score highly on logic and reasoning tests without possessing self-awareness or subjective experience.
• The rapid advancement in AI capabilities is outpacing cultural understanding of what these systems actually are and how they function.

Behind the behavior: The personification of AI may stem from the digital immersion experienced by younger generations.

• For those raised with digital assistants and who experienced relationship-building through screens during the pandemic, AI interactions can feel comparable to human connections.
• The more people engage with AI in human-like ways, the more they attribute human-like qualities to these systems, regardless of their actual nature.