TL;DR
A Wired report describes AI research in which a model appears to improve by generating and answering its own queries, rather than relying on human-provided examples or tasks. The approach is presented as a possible route toward more advanced AI, including the prospect of superintelligence.
What happened
A Wired feature by Will Knight highlights research suggesting some AI systems can continue learning without direct human instruction by generating their own questions and pursuing answers. The piece contrasts this behavior with the prevailing paradigm in which models learn mainly from human-created examples or from tasks set by people. The report frames such self-directed learning as a notable shift away from models acting primarily as ‘copycats,’ and it raises the possibility that this capability could point toward far more capable forms of artificial intelligence. The article appears in Wired’s AI Lab coverage (a subscriber product) and summarizes the idea at a conceptual level; the full technical details, experimental methods, and broader community responses are not provided in the source excerpt.
Why it matters
- Challenges the prevailing view that models must rely on human examples or externally assigned tasks to improve.
- Introduces a concept that the author suggests could be relevant to paths toward superintelligence.
- Potential practical impacts and safety implications are not confirmed in the source.
- Whether this method scales or is reproducible across different models and domains is not confirmed in the source.
Key facts
- Wired published the report on January 7, 2026; the story is by senior writer Will Knight.
- The article argues that even the smartest AI models have largely been 'copycats,' learning from human work or human-set problems.
- The central claim in the piece is that at least one AI model has been observed learning by posing and answering its own questions without human input.
- The author frames self-questioning learning as a potential route toward much more advanced AI, including superintelligence.
- The coverage appears in Wired’s AI Lab newsletter, which the source notes is subscriber-exclusive.
- Full experimental details, names of research teams, datasets, and evaluation results are not provided in the source.
What to watch next
- Independent replication and validation of the self-questioning learning method — not confirmed in the source.
- Community and peer-reviewed analysis of whether self-directed querying actually improves capabilities in robust ways — not confirmed in the source.
- Any emerging safety, governance, or policy responses tied to agentic or self-directed learning approaches — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Large language model (LLM): A neural network trained on large volumes of text to predict and generate human-like language; often used as the basis for chatbots and other language tasks.
- Self-supervised learning: A training approach where a model learns from the structure of unlabeled data by formulating its own prediction tasks, rather than relying on human-provided labels.
- Superintelligence: A hypothetical form of intelligence that significantly exceeds human cognitive abilities across a wide range of tasks.
- Agentic AI: AI systems that take actions autonomously to pursue goals, which may include generating their own objectives or queries.
Reader FAQ
What did the Wired article report?
It described research in which an AI model reportedly learns by creating and answering its own questions, contrasting this with the usual human-driven training process.
Does this mean AI will soon become superintelligent?
Not confirmed in the source.
Who conducted the research and how was it tested?
Not confirmed in the source.
Are there practical applications or safety concerns already identified?
Not confirmed in the source.
WILL KNIGHT BUSINESS JAN 7, 2026 2:00 PM AI Models Are Starting to Learn by Asking Themselves Questions An AI model that learns without human input—by posing interesting queries for…
Sources
- AI Models Are Starting to Learn by Asking Themselves Questions
- The AI model that teaches itself to think through problems …
- Teaching large language models how to absorb new …
- “Compute as Teacher”: How AI Models Learn by Teaching …
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