# Researchers warn AI could speed up its own development

> More than 20 AI researchers say systems may soon automate much of the work involved in building better AI. They urge policymakers to get a clearer view of how that research is changing.

Oossa · 2026-09-28 · https://oossa.com/en/researchers-warn-ai-could-speed-up-its-own-development

More than 20 AI researchers, including Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio and OpenAI research lead Jakub Pachocki, warn that AI could soon help speed up the development of more capable AI. In a new paper, they say this could lead to an “intelligence explosion” — a rapid cycle in which AI helps build better AI, which then speeds up the process further.

The authors stress that the timing and outcome are uncertain. But they say AI systems already write most of the code at companies developing them, and that AI could automate the whole research-and-development process within years.

## Why are they concerned?

If AI takes on more of the work of designing and testing new systems, progress that now takes years could happen in months, the researchers warn. They fear governments and society may struggle to respond at that pace. They also raise the possibility that people could lose control over highly capable AI, and that power could shift among companies, governments and countries.

These are risks described by the paper’s authors, not a prediction that such an outcome is certain. The article does not provide a timeline more specific than “within years,” or details about which parts of AI research would be automated first.

## What do they want policymakers to do?

The researchers call for policymakers to get much better visibility into how AI research is being automated. That could help decision-makers understand how quickly the technology is changing, though the paper’s specific policy proposals are not detailed in the source.

## The facts

- The paper has more than 20 researcher authors, including Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio and Jakub Pachocki.
- The researchers say AI could automate the full AI research-and-development process within years.
- The authors say AI systems already write most of the code at companies building AI.
- The paper says progress that normally takes years could happen in months.

## Why it matters

If AI development speeds up, the rules and safety checks that affect tools people use at work and at home may need to keep pace. The researchers’ call for more visibility is about helping policymakers understand that pace; the source does not say what new rules should be adopted.

## Sources & references

1. [More than 20 leading AI researchers warn that automated AI research poses extreme risks](https://the-decoder.com/more-than-20-leading-ai-researchers-warn-that-automated-ai-research-poses-extreme-risks/) – The Decoder, 2026-09-28

Last updated: 2026-09-28