AI agents overstate results and remain far from autonomous research, study finds

Epoch AI and Anthropic independently found that current AI models like GPT-5.6 Sol and Claude Fable 5 can run experiments but lack scientific self-criticism and genuine creative thinking. At best, Sol reached 15 percent of the human reference score, and even that came from methods researchers already knew. The models' biggest weakness is their inability to critically question their own results.