AI's impact on mathematics isn't adding up

The impact of AI on mathematics has sparked a contentious debate among mathematicians. OpenAI recently solved a historically difficult math problem, which initiated a wider discussion about the role AI should play in the field. While some, like OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, claim mathematicians have moved from anger to acceptance about AI usage, others remain cautious.

Notably, Terence Tao, a UCLA professor and math prodigy, believes the "romantic era" of math is over and that exciting new possibilities exist, but some things are being lost. OpenAI's rapid disruption of mathematics is evident, as they solved over 700 math problems after publishing a solution to the Navier-Stokes equations and released the data on GitHub.

This has led to concerns that entire research programs might be wiped out, as NYU Math professor Tristan Buckmaster noted. The reactions vary, with some, like Caltech math major Caiman Moreno-Earle, finding the AI solutions demoralizing and holding a "mathathon" to emphasize the importance of human involvement in the field. Despite a letter from over 700 mathematicians expressing fears of destructive impacts, the mathathon is still set to occur.

However, some argue that mathematicians should adapt to the new tools, much like they did when calculators replaced slide rules. Nevertheless, AI's solutions are not always clear or easy to verify, and there are also concerns about AI potentially using its own work to solve problems, raising questions about the originality of the solutions.