Next-token prediction is just an initialization stage for RL, argue AI researchers
maksym_andr · x · 2026-09-19
In a quoted exchange, the author endorses and amplifies the framing that next-token prediction is essentially an initialization / feature-learning stage for reinforcement learning, not the end state — a framing that positions pretraining as scaffolding with the real capability shaping happening in RL.
Related event: 'RL Is the Whole Cake': New Framing Sparks Debate Over Pretraining's Role(3 posts)→
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