# OpenAI says 80 to 90 percent of research targets GPT 7 and beyond

Digest AI · Generative AI & Models · published 2026-09-27T10:36:29Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/openai-says-80-to-90-percent-of-research-targets-gpt-7-and-beyond

## Summary

Boris Power, OpenAI's Head of Applied Research, stated that 80 to 90 percent of the company's research efforts are directed toward GPT 7, GPT 8, and future generations. Power explained that this focus exists because the most significant value comes from generational leaps rather than incremental updates. While improvements within a generation, such as moving from GPT 5.1 to 5.2, rely on specialized training data, they are considered short-term bets. Power noted that these incremental changes are viewed as "extremely shortsighted" internally, though they allow the team to iterate and learn faster in the present.

Power identified the primary challenge for current AI assistants as user onboarding rather than model quality. He observed that most ChatGPT users are unaware of the full capabilities of the tool. Future models are expected to better surface possibilities and anticipate user needs. Power contrasted the usage experience across versions, noting that GPT-4 required careful prompting, GPT-5 is easier but still demands significant feedback, and GPT-6 functions more like a capable colleague that can be handed a goal directly.

## Key points

- OpenAI allocates 80 to 90 percent of research to GPT 7 and later generations.
- Boris Power says incremental updates are short-term bets, not the long-term strategy.
- Power claims the main challenge is user onboarding, not model quality.

## Why it matters

This confirms OpenAI's strategic pivot toward long-term generational leaps over short-term patches, signaling that major capability jumps are the primary driver of value and user experience improvements.

## Sources

1. [OpenAI says 80 to 90 percent of its research already targets GPT 7 and beyond](https://the-decoder.com/openai-says-80-to-90-percent-of-its-research-already-targets-gpt-7-and-beyond) (The Decoder, 2026-09-27)

## Cite

Digest AI, "OpenAI says 80 to 90 percent of research targets GPT 7 and beyond", 27 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-says-80-to-90-percent-of-research-targets-gpt-7-and-beyond

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