Automated Researcher
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From Vibe Coding to Vibe Researching: OpenAI’s Mark Chen and Jakub Pachocki
a16z· 2025-09-25 13:00
Research & Development Focus - OpenAI is targeting the production of an automated researcher to automate the discovery of new ideas, with a focus on economically relevant advancements [1][3] - The company is extending the reasoning horizon of models, aiming for them to autonomously operate for longer periods, measured by performance in math and programming competitions [3] - OpenAI is working on improving the ability of models to handle more difficult and messy real-world coding environments, focusing on style, proactivity, and latency [12][13] Model Capabilities & Advancements - GPT-5 aims to bring reasoning into the mainstream, improving upon previous models like O3 by delivering reasoning and more agentic behavior by default [1] - The company observed significant progress in models' ability to solve hard science problems, with instances of discovering non-trivial new mathematics [1] - Reinforcement Learning (RL) continues to be a versatile method for continuous improvements, especially when combined with natural language modeling [4][5] Talent & Culture - OpenAI emphasizes fundamental research and innovation, discouraging copying and fostering a culture where researchers are inspired to discover new things [35][36] - The company looks for individuals who have solved hard problems in any field, possessing strong technical fundamentals and the intent to work on ambitious challenges [40] - OpenAI protects fundamental research by delineating researchers focused on algorithmic advances from those focused on product, ensuring space for long-term research questions [46][57] Resource Allocation & Strategy - OpenAI prioritizes core algorithmic advances over product research in compute allocation, but remains flexible to adapt to changing needs [59] - The company believes compute remains a critical resource for advancing AI, not expecting to be data-constrained anytime soon [62][63] - OpenAI acts from a place of strong belief in its long-term research program, not tying it too closely to short-term product reception [70]