What Lilian Weng thinks about recursive self-improvement

@lilian-weng · 16 positions · On ppll ↗

Machine-learning researcher; has written the Lil'Log survey posts on how a model technique works since 2017, and worked at OpenAI from 2018 to 2024.

Lilian Weng did not write this page.

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1 dated position, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Lilian Weng has said — not written or endorsed by them.

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1. 4 Jul 2026

   Our readingRecursive self-improvement only works if the base model is already capable enough to improve its own mechanism.

   Their wordsRecursive structure alone is not enough. The base model must be capable enough to improve the mechanism.

   ↗Harness Engineering for Self-Improvementlilianweng.github.io 2nd of 3 in this piece