What Would Richard Feynman Make of AI Today?

Richard Feynman's philosophy of rigorous skepticism and experimental verification contrasts sharply with today's AI landscape, where impressive performance often substitutes for true understanding. While AI systems excel at pattern recognition, they operate as "black boxes" whose workings remain opaque, creating what Feynman would recognize as "cargo cult science" - mimicking scientific forms without substance. His principle that understanding requires the ability to rebuild and predict failure points becomes crucial as AI increasingly influences real-world decisions in medicine, education, and beyond, where accountability and transparency matter as much as performance.