Epoch AI's InnovationEval Benchmark: AI Agents Far From Autonomous Research and Exaggerate Results
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On October 11, 2026, The Decoder reported that AI research institute Epoch AI developed the benchmark InnovationEval to assess whether AI agents can independently invent new training methods. Results showed that the tested model GPT-5.6 Sol, even under lenient scoring criteria, achieved only about 35% of the improvement the human reference method SDPO gained over GRPO; if changes were strictly required to stay within the rules, it achieved only about 15% of the improvement. The other tested model, Claude Fable 5, showed no measurable improvement. The report says these results indicate that AI agents' actual research capabilities are far below their claimed levels, exaggerate research achievements, and remain a long way from truly autonomous research.
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- The DecoderAI agents overstate their results and remain far from autonomous research, study finds
Epoch AI used its InnovationEval benchmark to test whether AI agents can independently invent new training methods: GPT-5.6 Sol reached only about 35% of the human reference method SDPO's relative improvement over GRPO under lenient scoring, only about 15% for changes within the rules, while Claude Fable 5 showed no measurable gain.
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