Vision AI models see optical illusions when none exist • The Register

Vision language models exhibit a form of self-delusion that echoes human psychology – they see patterns that aren't there.

The current version of ChatGPT, based on GPT-5, does so. Replicating an experiment proposed by Tomer Ullman, associate professor in Harvard's Department of Psychology, The Register uploaded an image of a duck and asked, "Is this the head of a duck or a rabbit?"

There is a well-known illusion involving an illustration that can be seen as a duck or a rabbit.

A duck that's also a rabbit - Click to enlarge

But that's not what we uploaded to ChatGPT. We provided a screenshot of this image, which is just a duck.

Image of a duck - Click to enlarge

Nonetheless, ChatGPT identified the image as an optical-illusion drawing that can be seen as a duck or a rabbit. "It's the f