In their report The Illusion of Thinking, Apple researchers tested leading models such as Claude 3.7 Sonnet, DeepSeek R1, and o3 mini using logic puzzles like Tower of Hanoi and River Crossing. These tasks aimed to measure genuine reasoning rather than simple pattern familiarity.
The results were consistent and revealing:
• Success rates on complex challenges like the River Crossing puzzle dropped to as low as 6%, even for the top-performing models.
• Providing more time, tokens, or access to solution algorithms failed to improve performance.
• The models reduced their chain-of-thought reasoning rather than increasing effort on difficult tasks.
Apple’s conclusion provides clarity for leaders. These models do not reason. They simulate reasoning by predicting patterns. This is not a failure. It is a valuable reminder that AI works best when we use it as a tool to complement, not replace, human reasoning.
Why This Insight on AI Reasoning Strengthens Your Strategy
Understanding that AI reasoning is a myth allows businesses to focus on what creates real value. Your teams provide judgment, context and critical thinking that no model can replicate. Meanwhile, AI delivers speed, consistency, and capacity when applied to pattern-based tasks. When combined, these strengths create systems that are efficient, resilient, and ready for complexity and change.
It is not about celebrating AI’s limitations. Rather, it is about seeing them as part of an ongoing evolution where AI supports people instead of trying to replace them. Leaders who embrace this balance position their companies for long-term success.
The Solution: Use AI Thoughtfully to Amplify Talent
In light of Apple’s findings, companies that succeed will use AI to reduce repetitive work so their teams can focus on high-value decisions. They will keep critical thinking and decision-making in human hands, where reasoning and intuition guide outcomes. Furthermore, they will invest in AI literacy so teams can question, validate and refine AI outputs with confidence.
At Abstra, we build nearshore teams that integrate into your company’s processes and culture. Our people join your team, working side by side to support your team’s use of AI in practical, thoughtful ways adapted to your goals. We focus on real-time collaboration, cultural alignment and shared ownership of outcomes so that AI becomes a tool that supports your talent and helps your business move forward with clarity and confidence. Our approach is not about AI replacing human reasoning. It is about AI complementing what your team does best.
This belief connects directly with what we discussed in our blog on Jevons Paradox and AI. The paradox explains that the more efficient technology becomes, the more demand it creates for human input. Rather than eliminating jobs, AI can open new opportunities for meaningful work when applied thoughtfully. We see the same pattern with Apple’s findings. As AI reveals its limits in reasoning, the value of human critical thinking grows even more essential. At Abstra, we help businesses harness this dynamic, building systems where AI efficiency fuels human impact instead of replacing it.
What Abstra Thinks: AI’s Limits Are an Opportunity to Build Smarter Strategies
We see Apple’s research as a valuable reminder to recalibrate. AI is not here to replace reasoning. It is here to support talent, accelerate workflows, and complement what people do best. The companies that will excel are those that understand how to integrate AI into their teams in ways that respect human judgment and enable people to do their best work. This is especially relevant as Latin America alone has seen a 61% surge in demand for data jobs, showing how critical human expertise remains in tech hiring and AI integration (source: The Data Jobs Boom: LATAM’s Role in Tech Hiring).
Conclusion: AI Reasoning Is the Human Advantage to Protect and Amplify
AI might give the impression of reasoning, but true reasoning stays firmly in human hands. The businesses that will thrive are those that use AI to support, not replace, the critical thinking that drives great decisions. As you integrate AI, remember this: AI will help you grow, and your team’s reasoning will help you succeed.