Key facts
- OpenAI released manuscripts in early October showing progress on 372 categories of mathematical problems.
- OpenAI announced three further breakthroughs in mathematics, computer science and physics in the week of the report.
- Ravi Vakil, president of the American Mathematical Society, said he is an AI optimist but worried about societal impact.
- Critics said AI labs are not following proper standards for releasing their findings, according to the Standard.
Artificial intelligence is now solving maths puzzles that have long stumped humans, prompting mathematicians around the world, including in China, to question whether machines will replace them and what achievement and research in their field will mean in the future, according to a report that did not date the event.
In early October, OpenAI released manuscripts showing progress on 372 categories of mathematical problems, including many that had long defied solutions. In the week of the report, the American AI firm announced three further breakthroughs.
Ravi Vakil, president of the American Mathematical Society and a professor at Stanford, said he is an AI optimist but remains worried about the technology's impact on society. He is one of nine scientists in an independent group advising OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind on how to present and release math research.
Critics said the AI labs are not following proper standards for releasing their findings, and some mathematicians feared AI would flood the field with proofs that no one fully understands. Others worried that hype would steer young people toward other careers or drain the joy of cracking a hard puzzle.