Key facts
- OpenAI has withdrawn sponsorship of Caltech's math hackathon.
- Mathematicians issued an open letter criticizing AI's role in solving theoretical math problems.
- The mathematicians described AI's contribution as 'slop mathematics,' where AI companies claim results without providing proofs.
- OpenAI stated it recognizes AI's disruptive progress in mathematics and seeks better integration strategies.
- OpenAI claimed its agents solved the 90-year-old Navier-Stokes equations.
- The mathathon organizers stated their goal was to encourage young mathematicians to use AI tools.
OpenAI has withdrawn its sponsorship of a math hackathon at Caltech following an open letter from mathematicians criticizing the role of artificial intelligence in solving complex theoretical problems. The AI company stated on Thursday that it is no longer sponsoring the event.
In an open letter released Wednesday, current and former Caltech mathematicians expressed concern that AI-sponsored events like the hackathon could have destructive impacts on the mathematical community. They argued that AI companies claim to solve outstanding theoretical problems using their models but leave the rigorous verification, dissemination, and sometimes discrediting of these results to human researchers, a process that goes uncompensated and unacknowledged.
Dan Roberts, OpenAI's research lead, acknowledged on X that AI's rapid progress in mathematics is disruptive and stated that OpenAI is seeking to engage with the math community to better integrate this technology and communicate its impacts. The mathematicians also voiced concerns that such events serve as unfair advertising for AI companies, which they believe would take credit for the work of talented undergraduates.
The controversy intensified Tuesday when OpenAI announced its agents had solved the Navier-Stokes equations, a set of formulas that has remained unsolved for 90 years. Tristan Buckmaster, an NYU mathematician who, along with another academic, published research on the problem on Monday, suggested that OpenAI might have used his conversations with AI chatbots to reach its solution. OpenAI stated it could not rule out that de-identified data from user interactions helped improve its models.
Anthropic, another sponsor of the event, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The mathathon's application page describes it as a platform for young mathematicians to "responsibly use AI tools to augment human understanding of mathematics." The organizers responded on Thursday, stating that events like the hackathon encourage young people's interest in mathematics and that they are grateful for the feedback received.