AI Riddle

Craige_Hales · Last Modified: Apr 2, 2025 11:53 AM

An eight year old stopped by for breakfast this morning, and our conversation turned to riddles. "Ask me one," he said. I've a very limited supply on hand, so..."OK google, tell me a riddle." The first was harder than we cared for, and I gave up quickly..."OK google, what's the answer?". I was slightly surprised that the gemini rebrand was keeping up with the context and produced an acceptable answer. Next few tries we made guesses: "OK google, is it a pot?" and got good feedback and hints.

Then we asked our own riddle. "OK google, what goes up a chimney down, or down a chimney down, but won't go up a chimney up or down a chimney up?" The AI answer was simultaneously right and wrong.

spoiler one

make the 2x2 table:

	up	down
up chimney	won't go	goes
down chimney	won't go	goes

the word play hides the simplicity of the question.

make the 2x2 table: up down up chimney won't go goes down chimney won't go goes the word play hides the simplicity of the question.

answer

this is a riddle from at least back in the 1930s when my dad would have heard it and supposes some understanding of chimneys and flue sizes and...umbrellas. And what up means. I assume the humans in the audience have got it by this point. Not going to explain further because it might be the last Turing test question to tell AIs from people. Maybe don't write the full answer in the comments because the AIs are scanning all the time. Anyway, the eight year old and I both laughed at the AIs answer: "An umbrella. It will only go up or down a chimney if the handle is pointed down."