OpenAI's Astra: Most Powerful, Most Controversial Model Yet

OpenAI launched Astra, its most advanced AI model, available first to cybersecurity program users before rolling out to paid subscribers. The company claims it is its most intelligent and aligned model, with top-tier coding and browser capabilities, though its cyber abilities have drawn scrutiny. Astra is also controversial for using opaque recurrence, a reasoning technique that limits researchers' ability to audit AI decision-making. OpenAI president Greg Brockman personally suggested the model may mark the arrival of AGI, though he left the final judgment to users.