AI’s recursive self-improvement might not come so quickly after all

A new study from Princeton University researchers found that AI agents can handle the engineering tasks needed for AI research, such as running experiments and reviewing literature, but lack the creativity and judgment required for original research that would be accepted at top conferences. The research suggests that recursive self-improvement (where AI improves itself with minimal human input) may take longer than some industry forecasts predict, because AI agents struggle with open-ended thinking like choosing which hypotheses to pursue and knowing when to abandon failing approaches.