For years I've been asking all the models this mixed up version of the classic riddle and they 99% of the time get it wrong and insist on taking the goat across first. Even the other reasoning models would reason about how it was wrong, figure out the answer, and then still conclude goat.
o3-mini is the first one to get it right for me. Transcript:
Me:
I have a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage and a boat. I want to get them all across the river. If I leave the goat and the wolf together, the goat will eat the wolf. If I leave the wolf and the cabbage together, the wolf will eat the cabbage. I can only take one at a time. How do I do it?
o3-mini
1. Take the wolf across to the right bank.
2. Return alone to the left bank.
3. Take the goat across to the right bank.
4. Bring the wolf back to the left bank.
5. Take the cabbage across to the right bank.
6. Return alone to the left bank.
7. Finally, take the wolf across to the right bank.
Me:
I have a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage and a boat. I want to get them all across the river. If I leave the goat and the cabbage together, the cabbage will eat the goat. If I leave the wolf and the cabbage together, the wolf will eat the cabbage. I can only take one at a time. How do I do it?
o3-mini
1. Take the cabbage to the right bank.
2. Go back empty to the left bank.
3. Take the wolf to the right bank.
4. Bring the cabbage back to the left bank.
5. Take the goat to the right bank.
6. Go back empty to the left bank.
7. Finally, take the cabbage to the right bank.