In a bold move, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company’s roadmap includes building a legitimate AI researcher by 2028. He emphasized that this milestone will move AI far beyond simple chatbots into independent scientific discovery.
Altman explained that before the 2028 target, OpenAI expects to launch an “AI research intern” by around 2026, laying the foundation for a more autonomous system. He suggested a shift in focus away from debating the meaning of “AGI” (artificial general intelligence) toward concrete milestones, like an AI that can conduct research on its own.
This announcement comes amid new concerns about how AI is reshaping our digital world. For example, Altman had previously warned that bots are changing the very nature of social media and making online interaction feel unreal.
The keyword “legitimate AI researcher” is central to OpenAI’s message here. By positioning this concept upfront, Altman signals that the future of AI is not simply smarter assistants, but independent thinkers. He argues that such a system could accelerate scientific breakthroughs and reshape not just technology, but society.
Still, the timeline is ambitious. Critics note that while OpenAI has human researchers and advanced AI models today, creating a fully autonomous AI scientist remains a massive leap. The question of accuracy, accountability, and safety looms large as the company pursues this bold target.
For people watching the AI scene, this announcement is both a signal of the coming acceleration and a reminder: the next phase of AI may not just answer our questions, it may ask its own.
