Sam Altman says OpenAI will have a ‘legitimate AI researcher’ by 2028 

OpenAI says its deep learning systems are developing rapidly, with models increasingly able to solve complex tasks faster. So fast, in fact, that OpenAI is internally on track to become an internal-level research assistant by September 2026 and a fully automated “legitimate AI researcher” by 2028, CEO Sam Altman said during a livestream on Tuesday.

The ambitious timeline comes on the same day that OpenAI completed its transition to a public benefit corporation structure, moving away from its nonprofit roots. This restructuring frees OpenAI from the constraints associated with its non-profit charter, while also opening up new opportunities for raising capital.

OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki joined Altman on the livestream. He described this AI researcher – not to be confused with a human researching AI – as a “system capable of autonomously conducting larger research projects.”

“We believe it is possible that deep learning systems are less than a decade away from superintelligence,” Pachocki added. He described superintelligence as systems that are smarter than humans at a wide range of crucial actions.

To achieve these goals, OpenAI is deploying two key strategies: continuous algorithmic innovation and dramatically scaling “test time compute” – essentially how long models spend thinking about problems. Current models can perform tasks with a time horizon of roughly five hours and match top human performers in competitions such as the International Mathematical Olympiad, Pachocki said. But he believes these horizons will expand quickly, in part because models can devote much more computing power to thinking through complex problems. For major scientific breakthroughs, he believes, it would be worthwhile to dedicate the computing power of entire data centers to a single problem.

OpenAI says these goals are in line with the company’s overall drive to advance scientific research and enable AI to make discoveries faster than human researchers, tackle complex problems beyond current human capabilities, and dramatically accelerate technological innovation in multiple areas such as medicine, physics and technology development.

Altman also said the restructuring creates a framework to support OpenAI’s aggressive timeline for AI research assistants, while maintaining its commitment to responsible AI development. Under the new structure, the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation, which focuses on scientific advancement, will own 26% of the profit and determine the direction of research. The nonprofit also has a $25 billion commitment to use AI to cure diseases and will help manage AI research and safety initiatives.

According to Altman, the for-profit arm’s ability to raise more money means it can scale up the necessary infrastructure expansion to achieve scientific advancements. Altman said OpenAI has committed to 30 gigawatts of infrastructure over the next few years, which is a $1.4 trillion financial commitment.