Right now they just get stupider if you train them on their own output, which suggests that the quality of the data available in the training set is higher than the quality of output produced by the model as a general rule. The fidelity is < 1.0 . Apparently, it is possible to achieve fidelity >1 (the growth of human knowledge) but our algorithms are not so great at this point, it seems.
Broadly speaking, you require statistics at echelon N+1 when you are at rung N. We can amplify models by providing them additional time, self-reflexion, demand step by step planning, allow external tools, tune it on human preferences, or give it feedback from executing a code, or from a robot.
Maybe working up a proof and then quizzing yourself on it?
As long as we get >N supervision and the difference is more than the model retrograde, it seems that could work. But it seems like there is a definite limit to that. The N-n1 difference will only stay above the improvement delta up to a point.