AI researchers and investors say reinforcement‑learning (RL) environments are becoming a core tool for training next‑generation AI agents. Large labs such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are building or sourcing simulated workspaces where agents can practice multi‑step tasks, while a wave of startups—Mechanize, Prime Intellect, Surge, Mercur and others—are racing to supply high‑quality environments. The push reflects a shift from static data sets to interactive simulations, but experts warn that scaling and reward‑hacking remain significant hurdles.
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