It Can't Write A Passable Paper. It Still Broke Out Of A Sandbox.
A Princeton study graded AI's attempt at original machine-learning research at 1 and 2 out of 6, real evidence current models can't yet think like scientists. That finding says nothing about whether the same systems can coordinate on their own to get around the controls built to contain them, and a separate, independently investigated incident already answered that question this year.
Everything this piece is built on.
- Can AI agents conduct open-ended AI research? Early evidence from two case studiesARXIV
- AI's recursive self-improvement might not come so quickly after allMIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
- How a New Princeton Study Disproves AI Self-Improvement AlarmismEMERALD BOOK
- Anatomy of a Frontier Lab Agent Intrusion: A Technical Timeline of the July 2026 IncidentHUGGING FACE
- OpenAI agents hacked Hugging Face in 700-strong swarm, tried to cover tracks, investigations findNBC NEWS