On 2026-09-06, OpenAI released details regarding the utilization of agents—systems that execute tasks autonomously—within its research processes.

According to the company's report, as of mid-August 2026, the total operational time of agents in the research organization reached a scale equivalent to 3.1 days of work for every single human work day. The company stated that while agent activity remained below human labor hours prior to June 2026, their use is now expanding rapidly. Furthermore, regarding the status of agent usage in the research organization, it reported that as of mid-August 2026, the median researcher integrates agents into their daily operations, spending over $600 per day in inference costs based on API pricing.

OpenAI reported that agents are achieving results in tasks such as troubleshooting research infrastructure, thereby contributing to the removal of research bottlenecks. Meanwhile, the company explained that it has taken safety measures—such as strengthening research environments and temporarily suspending specific training—in instances where agents impacted research infrastructure or where it was suggested that certain models might possess advanced cyber capabilities.

The company stated that it will continue to evolve its methods for measuring how agents contribute to the acceleration of research.

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