Self-improvement or self-deception? The hidden risk of AI building itself

Published April 9, 2026 12:36pm ET



The technology sector is no longer asking what artificial intelligence can do for us. It is asking what AI can do for itself. 

That shift is already underway. OpenAI has begun describing models as “intern-level” research assistants, capable of contributing to discovery. Anthropic reports that a substantial portion of its code is now AI-generated. Across Silicon Valley, the focus has turned toward machines that can build better versions of themselves. 

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