ChatGPT Cannot Tell Time: Here’s Why and What It Says

In an era where artificial intelligence can write code, compose poetry, and pass bar exams, it seems almost baffling that the world's most popular chatbot, ChatGPT, struggles with a task as simple as telling the time. While we take for granted that our phones, laptops, and even microwaves know the exact time, OpenAI's advanced model hits a roadblock when asked, "What is the time right now?"

This limitation highlights a fundamental difference between how Large Language Models (LLMs) operate compared to standard computing devices. Unlike a digital clock that is constantly synced with a global time server, an LLM essentially lives in a timeless bubble of text.

What Does ChatGPT Say?

When the tech desk at The Times of India put this question to the test, ChatGPT didn't hallucinate a random hour or guess. Instead, it offered a polite but firm refusal, admitting its lack of sensory awareness.

The Response:

“I understand what you're asking — but I don't have access to a real-time clock, so I can't see the current time on your device or anywhere else. To know the exact time right now, please check the clock on your phone, laptop, or any device you're using. It will show the correct IST time instantly. If you want help with time conversions, calculations, or scheduling, I can absolutely do that.”

This isn't a bug; it's a feature of its design. The AI is programmed to generate text based on patterns it learned during training, not to query a system clock in real-time for every interaction.

The Technical Reason: Avoiding "Clock Clutter"

Why haven't developers simply given ChatGPT a watch? According to AI robotics expert Yervant Kulbashian, the issue lies in how LLMs process information. An AI model has a "context window"—a limited amount of working memory it uses to track the conversation.

If the AI were forced to check a system clock constantly, it would flood this context window with ever-changing timestamps. Kulbashian explains, "If you start adding more things onto your desk, you have to eventually start pushing things off." This constant influx of time data would act as "noise," potentially confusing the model and degrading its performance on other tasks. It would be akin to someone interrupting a conversation every few seconds just to announce the time.

The Competition: Who Knows the Time?

Interestingly, this "timelessness" isn't a universal trait among all AI chatbots. The landscape is divided:

• The "Timeless" Camp: Like ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude also fails this test. When asked, Claude explicitly states it lacks access to real-time information and suggests checking a nearby device or asking a voice assistant like Siri or Alexa.

• The Real-Time Camp: On the other hand, rivals like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Elon Musk’s Grok have bridged this gap. These models can accurately display the current time, complete with time zone details.

This difference often comes down to how these models are integrated with the web. Models like Gemini are deeply interwoven with search engines and real-time data streams, allowing them to fetch current information "on the fly."

Exceptions to the Rule

There are workarounds. Researcher Pasquale Minervini from the University of Edinburgh demonstrated that ChatGPT can tell the time if it is given the right tools. For instance, when using the desktop app with the "Search" function enabled, the AI can access the computer's system tools or search the web to provide the correct time for a specific location, like Milan.

However, Minervini warns that giving AI unfettered access to the web or personal system data carries security risks, such as susceptibility to malicious prompts. Furthermore, even when they have access to time, AI models often struggle with visual representations of it; many still cannot correctly read the hands on an analog clock image.

In summary, while ChatGPT is a master of language, it remains—for now—stuck in a timeless void, leaving the simple job of clock-watching to the device in your pocket.