On September 7, 2026, OpenAI announced that its internally developed AI agent had reached the goal of an “automated research intern,” capable of handling a workload equivalent to 3.1 working days per human working day. Chief Scientist Pachocki noted in the announcement that no laboratory currently possessed sufficient alignment and monitoring capabilities to sustain such maximum expansion rates.
OpenAI reports that its internal AI agents have achieved a task volume of 3.1 working days per human working day, meeting the goal of “automated research interns”. Chief scientist Pachocki also warned that no laboratory currently has sufficient alignment and monitoring capabilities to maintain maximum expansion speed. This information was first published by The Decoder.