The Download: OpenAI is building a fully automated researcher, and a psychedelic trial blind spot

By September, the company plans to build “an autonomous AI research intern” that can take on a small number of specific research problems. The intern will be the precursor to the fully automated multi-agent system, which is slated to debut in 2028.

In an exclusive interview this week, OpenAI’s chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, talked me through the plans. Find out what I discovered.

—Will Douglas Heaven

Mind-altering substances are (still) falling short in clinical trials

Over the last decade, we’ve seen scientific interest in psychedelic drugs explode. Compounds like psilocybin—which is found in magic mushrooms—are being explored for all sorts of health applications, including treatments for depression, PTSD, addiction, and even obesity. But two studies out earlier this week demonstrate just how difficult it is to study these drugs.

For me, they show just how overhyped these substances have become. Find out why here.

—Jessica Hamzelou

This story first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

Read more: What do psychedelic drugs do to our brains? AI could help us find out