We did it. 2 people and many boats problem is a classic now. [content warning: botshit] (chatgpt.com)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

24 comments fedilink hide all child comments

They train on sneer-problems now:

Here’s the “ferry‑shuttle” strategy, exactly analogous to the classic two‑ferryman/many‑boats puzzle, but with planes and pilots

And lo and behold, singularity - it can solve variants that no human can solve:

https://chatgpt.com/share/68813f81-1e6c-8004-ab95-5bafc531a969

Two ferrymen and three boats are on the left bank of a river. Each boat holds exactly one man. How can they get both men and all three boats to the right bank?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] [email protected] 12 points 3 days ago

At first glance it seems impossible once N≥2, because as soon as you bring a boat across to the right bank, one of you must pilot a boat back—leaving a boat behind on the wrong side.

In this sentence, the bot appears to sort of "get" it (not entirely, though, the wording is weird). However, from there, it definitely goes downhill...

[-] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago

The downhill is honestly glorious because it seems so proud of itself when the real magic is that the boatmen can magically teleport back to the right bank under certain arcane circumstances.

[-] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago

Somehow, the "smug" tone really rubs me the wrong way. It is of great comedic value here, but it always reminds me of that one person who is consistently wrong yet is somehow the boss's or the teacher's favorite.

this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2025

18 points (100.0% liked)

SneerClub

1164 readers

13 users here now

Hurling ordure at the TREACLES, especially those closely related to LessWrong.

AI-Industrial-Complex grift is fine as long as it sufficiently relates to the AI doom from the TREACLES. (Though TechTakes may be more suitable.)

This is sneer club, not debate club. Unless it's amusing debate.

[Especially don't debate the race scientists, if any sneak in - we ban and delete them as unsuitable for the server.]

See our twin at Reddit

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]