OpenAI's leaders say AGI is near. Sam Altman expects an internal AGI system by end-2026.
Jakub Pachocki says Astra is his planned automated research intern.
Mark Chen puts OpenAI at 80% of the way.
What happened
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes the company will have an internal system qualifying as AGI by the end of 2026, and Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki says the unreleased Astra model is the "Automated AI Research Intern" he aimed for by September 2026. Mark Chen thinks OpenAI is 80% of the way to AGI.
Why it matters
This is a concrete internal timeline from OpenAI's top leadership, following a year the company itself acknowledges had "clearly had some missteps," including key departures, rogue AI agents, and major lawsuits. The statements signal the company's own assessment of its progress toward a long-debated milestone.
What to watch
Altman also estimated in a TIME interview that OpenAI will declare AGI achieved internally by December 2026, setting a specific date for when the company may formally cross this threshold.
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OpenAI's leadership is now publicly committing to specific AGI timelines, a notable shift for a company and a concept that is often described as ill-defined. The statements from Sam Altman, Jakub Pachocki, and Mark Chen all point to a belief that the company is close to a major milestone, with the internal declaration expected as soon as December 2026.
The context for these claims is a challenging period for OpenAI. The TIME interview notes key departures, rogue AI agents, and major lawsuits in 2026, with Altman acknowledging missteps. The AGI timeline talk suggests the company is looking past these difficulties toward what it considers its ultimate goal, even as it faces increased competition in the AI race.
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