[AINews] OpenAI to reach AGI bar by end-2026

Normally we eschew AGI timeline talk on Latent Space, because it is so ill defined and unaccountable, but, well, missing it would probably be the worse sin at this point. We last checked in on OpenAI AGI timelines 9 months ago, and, right on target, Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki is now saying the unreleased Astra model is the “Automated AI Research Intern” he had aimed for by September 2026. Sama goes further in their TIME interview and estimates they’ll declare AGI achieved internally by December 2026. Time: - OpenAI leaders believe they are at the cusp of AGI. Sam Altman believes OpenAI will have an internal system that will qualify as AGI by the end of 2026. Mark Chen thinks OpenAI is 80% of the way to AGI. - OpenAI already has the automated AI research intern - that's TIME’s new cover: In 2026, OpenAI has seen key departures, rogue AI agents, major lawsuits, and has seen increased competition in the AI race. “We clearly had some missteps as a company,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tells TIME. Inside the company’s plan for a reboot: 111 Replies · 230 Reposts · 2.21K Likes Start the clock. AI News for 8/22/2026-8/24/2026. We…