I don't think that's always true. I do a lot of puzzle hunt, and I've been using GPT-3 for cryptics in the past week, and I'd say it gets it right around 20% of the time, which isn't horrible but still impressive, and these are brand new cryptics that are definitely not found online. And the ones it gets wrong show that it partly understands the mechanics of cryptics.

    Solve these cryptic clues:

    Wash part of Uncle Andrew (5)
    Pain, hype, breaking down: a revelation (8)
    Bad Romano is reddish-brown (6)
    Eternally the Raven’s headless refrain (8)
    Boxer Joe switched from Fahrenheit to Celsius to get more absurd (7)
    Mill traps rock and roll heads, flipping bro, and first aid to get disco item (10)
    Prestigious institution’s climbing plant (3)
    Fin? Feet? Strange first tennis point (7)
    Jordan? He destroyed a breakup letter (4 4)
    Maine is yours truly (2)

    ANSWERS: 

    ANDREW, EPIPHANY, BRUNET, NEVERMORE, ABSURDER, DISCO BALL, IVY, FORFEIT, DEVOURED IT, ME

The real answers are:

CLEAN, EPIPHANY, MAROON, EVERMORE, CRAZIER, MIRROR BALL, IVY, FIFTEEN, DEAR JOHN, ME

So got 3, and pretty close for 2-3 others.