Stagnating AI Long-form Writing Raises Concerns Over Open-ended Science Capabilities
natolambert · x · 2026-08-12
AI researcher Nathan Lambert reflects on his experience writing an AI textbook, noting that current large language models have not significantly improved in long-form non-fiction and technical writing as previously expected.
He worries that if models struggle to organize and express lengthy thoughts, they will face difficulties in conducting genuine open-ended science. While AI can solve known math problems and make cross-domain connections, building a coherent body of literature without massively increasing entropy is crucial to advancing collective knowledge, a capability models currently lack.
Related event: Researcher Highlights LLM Limitations in Long-form Writing(2 posts)→
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