FirstPrinciples launches Theo Collaborators Program to evaluate the AI Physicist’s scientific reasoning capabilities
- FirstPrinciples
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
TORONTO, January 28, 2026 — FirstPrinciples, an independent non-profit research organization building autonomous AI systems for scientific discovery, announced the launch of the Theo Collaborators Program, a selective research collaboration designed to bring expert physicists into direct engagement with Theo, the AI Physicist.
When AI systems produce theoretical arguments, evaluation becomes a central challenge. Determining whether the reasoning is sound and the conclusions follow accepted principles goes beyond what benchmarks can capture.
To address this challenge, FirstPrinciples is bringing together a small group of theoretically grounded researchers to examine and guide the scientific reasoning produced by Theo in specified areas of fundamental physics. The collaboration will focus on direct engagement with research directions and on developing standards for credible AI-generated theory.
“Building an AI system capable of meaningful contributions to fundamental physics is an exceptionally challenging scientific and technological task,” said Ildar Shar, Founder of FirstPrinciples. “If we want AI systems to contribute to fundamental theory, they have to be developed in close collaboration with the scientific community. The Theo Collaborators Program is about putting expert human judgment directly into the loop - not as an afterthought, but as a core part of how the system learns what credible physics research actually looks like.”
The initial phase of the Theo Collaborators Program will focus on quantum information theory, with particular emphasis on narrow, formalizable sub-fields where rigorous reasoning and constraint-based results are possible. Central to the collaboration is the evaluation of Theo’s primary scientific output, known as Dynamic Research Objects (DROs). Unlike traditional papers, DROs capture the full research process, including assumptions, hypotheses, reasoning paths, evaluations, and conclusions, making the system’s scientific workflow transparent and auditable. Collaborators will play a critical role in assessing whether these outputs are internally consistent and aligned with accepted physical principles, while also identifying gaps and limitations that inform future system development.
The Theo Collaborators Program is open to late-stage PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, early-career faculty, and industry researchers with strong theoretical backgrounds. Ideal candidates would have an established publication record and experience serving on review committees evaluating scientific work. The four-month engagement involves a light but focused time commitment through occasional discussions and asynchronous review, and includes a modest honorarium in recognition of participants’ contributions. Researchers interested in participating are invited to submit a brief expression of interest outlining their background and areas of expertise; no formal application is required.
FirstPrinciples is an independent, non-profit research organization dedicated to understanding the nature of reality. By combining software engineering rigor with scientific curiosity, the organization is building the “AI Physicist" - an open, autonomous research engine designed to accelerate scientific discovery. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, FirstPrinciples operates as a remote-first global collective of engineers, physicists, and AI researchers.
