A complete 9x9 Sudoku puzzle is solved by GPT-5

According to Sakana AI's Sudoku-Bench, a benchmark created to assess deep reasoning, spatial logic, and originality, GPT-5 recently became the first AI model to solve an entire 9x9 Sudoku puzzle. The specifics: Sudoku-Bench, which was introduced in May, evaluates LLMs on both traditional and contemporary Sudoku variations that require lengthy, multi-step reasoning and include numerous rule sets. Before GPT-5 solved a whole 9x9 puzzle, no model had done so, demonstrating superior spatial and logical reasoning. Additionally, GPT-5 obtained a 33% solve rate across problems, which is about twice as high as the prior leader and represents a significant improvement in benchmark performance. Due to models' difficulties with meta-reasoning (learning new rules) and creative "break-in," which humans naturally employ, 67% of the issues are still unresolved. The Sudoku breakthrough by GPT-5 demonstrates significant advancements in structured reasoning, but it also highlights the distance between AI and human thought. Models that can integrate mathematical reasoning, spatial awareness, and creative insight—basically, the same combination of abilities we need to reason through the unknown—will be necessary to close that gap.