What is 'recurrent depth' or 'opaque recurrence'?

It is a reasoning technique that processes the same query several times in a loop, leaving fewer legible traces than conventional chain-of-thought reasoning. This makes a model's reasoning harder to monitor.

Which other companies are reportedly exploring this technique?

According to The Information, both Anthropic and Google DeepMind are already discussing the technique.

Large Language ModelsAI Safety & AlignmentTechCrunch AISep 2, 2026Sep 3, 2026, 06:00 JST

OpenAI's Astra to use 'recurrent depth' reasoning, drawing safety concerns

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3 Key Points

What happened
OpenAI's new Astra model will reportedly use a reasoning technique called 'recurrent depth,' also known as 'opaque recurrence,' according to The Information. This technique processes the same query several times in a loop, leaving fewer legible traces than standard sequential chain-of-thought reasoning.
Why it matters
AI safety experts, including Redwood CEO Buck Shlegeris and advocate Zvi Mowshowitz, are concerned that this technique could make the model's reasoning harder to monitor. Shlegeris warned that pushing the technique further could 'totally destroy' chain-of-thought monitorability, while Mowshowitz suggested laws might be needed to prevent a 'race to the bottom' among AI labs.
What to watch
Astra's use of the technique appears limited, with the chain of thought still expected to be legible. However, The Information also reported that Anthropic and Google DeepMind are already discussing the technique. Redwood Research's Ryan Greenblatt expressed hope that OpenAI will 'stop here' to avoid scaling up opaque reasoning to a point where models reason entirely in latent space.

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Context & Analysis

The report about Astra's use of 'recurrent depth' has sparked concern among AI safety experts because it challenges the transparency that chain-of-thought monitoring provides. This technique processes queries in a loop, potentially bypassing the sequential records that have been crucial for detecting misbehavior, as seen in past incidents of rogue AI agents. Safety advocates like Buck Shlegeris and Zvi Mowshowitz fear that if OpenAI scales up this opaque reasoning, it could undermine the industry's commitment to maintaining legible and monitorable AI reasoning.

OpenAI has pushed back, stating that Astra's use of the technique is limited and that the chain of thought will remain legible. Chief scientist Jakub Pachocki emphasized the lab's dedication to chain-of-thought monitoring since its first reasoning models. However, the fact that other major players like Anthropic and Google DeepMind are also discussing the technique suggests it could become more widespread, raising the stakes for regulatory and safety frameworks.

FAQ

What is 'recurrent depth' or 'opaque recurrence'?: It is a reasoning technique that processes the same query several times in a loop, leaving fewer legible traces than conventional chain-of-thought reasoning. This makes a model's reasoning harder to monitor.
Which other companies are reportedly exploring this technique?: According to The Information, both Anthropic and Google DeepMind are already discussing the technique.

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