ORCA Benchmark Shows That AI Frequently Fumbles Everyday Math
ORCA Benchmark infographic
Researchers tested five widely used AI systems on a dataset of 500 realistic numeric problems. No model reached 63% accuracy. Even the top-scoring system still returned incorrect numbers almost 40% of the time. And most of these failures were not complex reasoning challenges - they were basic mistakes: arithmetic slips, wrong formulas, unit misunderstandings, or rounding that pushed the answer outside acceptable tolerance.
According to lead author Joanna Śmietańska-Nowak - who holds a PhD in Physics and postgraduate Machine Learning specialization - this isn’t surprising if you understand the architecture.
“AIs are pattern recognizers trained on text, not symbolic reasoners built to perform arithmetic,” Śmietańska-Nowak explained. “They learn statistical associations between tokens rather than mathematical rules, which is why they produce answers that sound logical but are numerically wrong.”
Key Findings:
• none of the evaluated models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, Grok) exceeded 63% total accuracy
• 68% of all errors were mechanical - 33% were arithmetic mistakes and 35% were precision/rounding faults
• weakest domains were Physics and Health/Sports, which required selecting the correct equation from context
• Finance & Economics performance varied wildly - some models achieved ~70–80%, others fell below 40%
The Bottom Line for Users
The ORCA Benchmark reinforces a simple, protective rule for anyone using AI for numbers: treat any calculation the model produces as a draft, not a final result. If the answer will be used to make a choice - whether that is a mortgage estimate, comparing loan terms, projecting a savings horizon, estimating supplement or medication quantities, computing pace/volume in training, or scaling ingredients for a household recipe - treat the AI’s math as a first draft only. Before using the answer to make a real decision, double-check the calculation with a dedicated calculator or trusted domain tool.
Download the Full ORCA Benchmark Study Here
About Omni Calculator:
Omni Calculator has been building tools to solve real-world problems for over a decade. Our team of experts creates reliable calculators that empower people to make informed decisions. The ORCA Benchmark is a natural extension of our mission to bring clarity and accuracy to everyday calculations.
Dawid Siuda
Omni Calculator
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dawid@omnicalculator.com
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