OpenAI reports that its deep learning systems are advancing rapidly, with models becoming increasingly capable of solving complex tasks at a faster pace. The progress is so significant that the company is internally tracking toward creating an intern-level research assistant by September 2026. Furthermore, CEO Sam Altman stated during a Tuesday livestream that the goal is to develop a fully automated “legitimate AI researcher” by 2028.
This ambitious timeline was announced on the same day OpenAI completed its transition to a public benefit corporation structure, moving away from its non-profit roots. This restructuring frees the company from the limitations of its original non-profit charter and opens up new opportunities for raising capital.
Chief scientist Jakub Pachocki, who joined Altman on the livestream, described the envisioned AI researcher as a system capable of autonomously delivering on larger research projects. He clarified that this refers to an AI system, not a human who researches artificial intelligence. Pachocki added that the company believes deep learning systems could potentially achieve superintelligence in less than a decade. He defined superintelligence as systems that are smarter than humans across a large number of critical actions.
To reach these goals, OpenAI is focusing on two primary strategies. The first is continued algorithmic innovation. The second is dramatically scaling up “test time compute,” which refers to the amount of time models spend thinking about problems. Pachocki noted that current models can handle tasks with a time horizon of roughly five hours and can match top human performers in competitions like the International Mathematical Olympiad. He believes this time horizon will extend rapidly by allowing models to use far more computational resources to think through complex problems. For major scientific breakthroughs, he stated it would be worthwhile to dedicate the computing power of entire data centers to a single problem.
OpenAI says these objectives align with the company’s overall mission to advance scientific research. The goal is to allow AI to potentially make discoveries faster than human researchers, tackle complex problems beyond current human capabilities, and dramatically accelerate technological innovation across multiple fields such as medicine, physics, and technology development.
Altman also commented that the new corporate structure creates a framework to support this aggressive research timeline while maintaining a commitment to responsible AI development. Under the new model, the non-profit OpenAI Foundation, which is focused on scientific advancement, will own twenty-six percent of the for-profit entity and will govern the research direction. The non-profit also has a twenty-five billion dollar commitment to use AI for curing diseases and will help manage AI research and safety initiatives.
According to Altman, the for-profit arm’s enhanced ability to raise funds means it can scale the necessary infrastructure to achieve these scientific advancements. He said OpenAI has committed to thirty gigawatts of infrastructure, which represents a one point four trillion dollar financial obligation, over the next few years.