AI and Human R&D Labor are Currently Complements; Extreme Progress Needs Substitution
RyanGreenblatt · x · 2026-08-13
Addressing why human-level AI R&D ability is a privileged milestone, researcher Ryan Greenblatt provides his analysis.
He notes that currently, human R&D labor and AI labor act as complements rather than substitutions. Therefore, reaching extreme rates of progress likely requires AI to become capable enough to enter a "substitute" regime. However, even these highly capable AIs might still be significantly worse than humans in certain aspects.
Related event: Why Human-Level AI R&D is a Critical Milestone(2 posts)→
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