Aside from the unfortunate name of the university, I think that part of why LLMs may be perceived as smart or ‘smarter’ is because they are very articulate and, unless prompted otherwise, use proper spelling and grammar, and tend to structure their sentences logically.
Which ‘smart’ humans may not do, out of haste or contextual adaptation.
Keeping oneself grounded in reality is hard, painful, and requires a constant effort.
I’m trying to learn that the consequences of dissociating are actually worse for my mental health than what I’m theoretically trying to avoid. My struggles may not be ambassador-level, but I think it applies to most of the human condition.