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AI Chatbots Evolve Fast, Yet ChatGPT Still Can’t Show the Current Time
AI chatbots can perform many complex tasks instantly, but accurately telling the time remains a challenge. Why can't advanced models like ChatGPT and Cloud be able to tell real-time? Learn about their limitations.
AI chatbots have become super advanced today. They are able to perform tasks like coding, browsing the web, analyzing data, and generating images in mere seconds. Surprisingly, LLMs such as ChatGPT and Cloudude still cannot do one very simple task: telling the time.
Each time a user has asked ChatGPT what time it is, the response has clearly stated that the AI "doesn't have access to a real-time clock." In other words, it cannot access your phone or computer for the time. Therefore, ChatGPT advises users to check the time displayed on their device.
AI experts explain that this limitation is actually related to the structure of these models. According to AI robotics expert Yeravant Kulbashian, an LLM processes only information that falls within the context window of a conversation.
The context window is a limited space where the model stores conversation data. If the model were to read the changing time every second, the constantly changing information would fill the window, putting too much pressure on the AI model. This could degrade the quality of the main conversation.
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This limitation does not apply to all chatbots. Models like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and xAI Grok automatically use real-time system data and search functions, so they display the time instantly.
NLP researcher Pasquale Minervini explained that if ChatGPT is granted access to system data through a search feature or a desktop app, it can also display the time. For example, ChatGPT displays the time in the Atlas browser.
OpenAI says that current models do not have built-in time access, so they must call search to obtain the time. The company is working on improving this process so that the model can find the time automatically when needed.
