Next-token prediction can surpass human performance

Next-token prediction is not mere imitation that caps at human ability; because predicting the next token well requires understanding the underlying reality that produced the text, a sufficiently smart base network can extrapolate how a hypothetical person of far greater insight, wisdom, and capability would behave, even if such a person doesn't exist, deducing it from the thoughts, feelings, and ideas implicit in the behavior of regular people.