‘I’m Really Terrified’: A Mathematician Grapples With AI’s Recent Breakthroughs
Steven Strogatz coauthored a book about how math is moving beyond human understanding. He spoke with WIRED about the seismic impact artificial intelligence has had on his life’s work.
The mathematician from Cornell University, Joel Strogratz, expresses terror at the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on mathematical research. OpenAI recently announced that it had used tens of thousands of agents to solve a 90-year-old math problem with a $1 million prize attached. However, another mathematician, Tristan Buckmaster, claims that OpenAI rushed to claim the solution after learning about his own work with Anthropic researcher Levent Alpöge. Strogratz notes the corporate race to grab headlines and secure funding ahead of future IPOs.
AI is accelerating mathematical breakthroughs, but what this means for experts who have dedicated their lives to the field remains unclear. Strogratz believes that 2026 could be either a "miracle" or a "horror" year for mathematics, as AI advances continue at a dizzying pace. He likens the current moment to a horror movie, as AI systems become more sophisticated and harder to understand. Strogratz suggests that mathematicians may become the interpreters of AI's work, rather than the primary creators.
The Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem, a theoretical math problem of little practical interest, was recently solved by Spanish mathematicians Diego Córdoba and Luis Martínez-Zorúa, as well as Buckmaster and Alpöge. Strogratz considers Córdoba and Martínez-Zorúa as deserving of the million-dollar prize, though he acknowledges the complex situation. He remains optimistic about the future of mathematicians, believing that human expertise in explaining and interpreting AI-generated results will remain valuable.
Written by urgent.news from Wired Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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