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OpenAI Reports Surge in AI‑Driven Advanced Science and Mathematics Research

OpenAI says its GPT‑5.2 models are handling millions of weekly queries in advanced science, achieving gold‑level IMO scores and 92% accuracy on graduate‑level exams, while accelerating research across physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
29 January 2026 by
TechStora Editorial Board

Key Usage Statistics

OpenAI reports that roughly 8.4 million messages are exchanged each week about advanced science and mathematics, generated by about 1.3 million users worldwide.

This volume represents a 50% increase over the previous year, indicating that AI tools are moving from occasional experimentation to routine research workflows.

  • ~8.4 M weekly messages on scientific topics
  • ~1.3 M active users
  • 50% year‑over‑year growth

Benchmark Achievements

The GPT‑5.2 series has delivered notable results on several high‑profile assessments.

  • Gold‑level performance at the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad
  • Partial success on the FrontierMath benchmark
  • 92% accuracy on the graduate‑level GPQA exam without external tools

Real‑World Applications

Researchers are integrating AI into everyday scientific tasks across multiple domains.

  • Physics: AI assists in simulation integration, experimental log management, and theoretical exploration.
  • Chemistry & Biology: Hybrid pipelines combine language models with graph neural networks and protein‑structure predictors, speeding up drug design and protein engineering.
  • Mathematics: AI helps recombine known ideas, identify cross‑field connections, and accelerate formal verification and proof discovery.

Case studies include RetroBioSciences, where AI reduced protein‑design timelines from years to months.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite impressive usage figures and benchmark scores, independent validation remains limited.

Open questions include the durability of performance over time, the breadth of applicability across disciplines, and whether AI‑driven efficiencies translate into lasting scientific breakthroughs.