# Can AI reason without words? A small model puts the idea to the test

> Source: <https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ai-model-reason-logic-words-efficient>
> Published: 2026-09-22 16:00:00+00:00

AI may be able to reason without putting every step into words.

Many of today’s AI systems tackle difficult problems by generating intermediate steps in lengthy, chains of words before arriving at an answer— a technique often called chain-of-thought reasoning.

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