OpenAI, a non-profit research lab, has released dozens of academic papers since its founding two years ago. However, one article posted online last Thursday stood out—it was co-authored by a high school student. Kevin Frans, a 17-year-old currently applying to colleges, made history as the first high schooler to be listed as an author on an OpenAI publication.
At just 15, Frans built his first neural network, a system used by tech giants for tasks like image and speech recognition. Inspired by breakthroughs in gaming AI like AlphaGo, he started reading research papers and experimenting with their implementations. “I love making computers do things that were once thought impossible,†he said. One of his projects is an interactive web tool that generates comic-style line drawings based on user input.
Frans discovered OpenAI through their list of open research questions. He reached out with insights and even helped solve a problem that researcher John Schulman had been stuck on. Schulman was surprised by the depth of Frans’ ideas, saying, “I didn’t expect to get such valuable feedback from a high school student.â€
During a summer internship at OpenAI’s San Francisco office, Frans was the only intern without a graduate degree. He’s now tackling a critical challenge in AI: how machines can apply prior knowledge to new problems. Unlike humans, who naturally transfer skills from one task to another, AI systems often need to relearn everything from scratch.
Working with Schulman and researchers from UC Berkeley, Frans published a paper addressing this issue. His algorithm enables virtual robots to adapt quickly to new tasks, like walking or crawling. A video showing a robotic ant successfully navigating new environments was submitted to ICLR, a top machine learning conference. Schulman praised the work, calling it a fresh approach with impressive results.
Beyond AI, Frans is also into martial arts, holding a black belt in Thai boxing. His passion for technology likely stems from growing up in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley. While his parents didn’t assist directly with his AI projects, his father worked in semiconductor design at Xilinx.
Olga Russakovsky, a Princeton professor in computer vision, called Frans’ achievements rare. She noted that AI is more challenging than traditional STEM fields due to its reliance on powerful computing. When Frans’ home PC wasn’t enough, he used his debit card to access Google Cloud for testing. “The best way to learn is to try it yourself,†he advised.
Russakovsky is part of efforts to diversify AI by encouraging young people—especially underrepresented groups—to get involved. She co-founded AI4ALL, a program that brings students from diverse backgrounds into AI research.
Back in Palo Alto, Frans is already thinking about the future. With a younger brother showing interest in programming, he hopes to one day guide the next generation of AI innovators. “Maybe when he’s older, I can help him,†he said.
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