Could AI ever build itself? Scientists map the road to the 'last AI built by humans.'

Researchers hope recursive self-improvement could tackle the skyrocketing costs of developing advanced AI models. But is it viable?

Scientists in China are exploring what it would take to develop "the last AI built by humans" — a powerful, self-improving artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of creating its own successors.

In a new paper, researchers examine how approaches to recursive self-improvement (RSI) could help tackle the rising financial and computational costs of developing ever-more advanced AI models.

RSI refers to the idea that future AI models could direct their own training and development, using what they learn from each round of improvements to guide subsequent rounds of development.

This recursive feedback loop could eventually enable AI systems to develop newer, more powerful generations of models with minimal human input.

The study, which was uploaded to the preprint database arXiv Sept.…