no ability to reason, does it just mean its faster?

Faster. only faster. LLMs as far as I understand have as much self-awareness and ability to reason as a Ti-83.

We are no closer to an AGI than we were when AI research started in the '50s.

From the link:

"The timeline for AGI development remains a subject of ongoing debate among researchers and experts. Some argue that it may be possible in years or decades, others maintain it might take a century or longer, and a minority believe it may never be achieved."

The central problem is this:

How can we create or program a machine to have self-awareness when will still do not understand how humans gain and develop?