{
  "id": 6394778,
  "title": "OpenAI claims to have solved maths problem that stumped humans for decades",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/openai-claims-to-have-solved-maths-problem-that-stumped-humans-for-6394778",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-08T21:29:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Science",
    "slug": "guardian-science",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/sep/08/openai-claims-to-have-solved-maths-problem-that-stumped-humans-for-decades"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OpenAI claims to have solved a complex mathematics problem called Navier-Stokes after employing 10,000 AI systems to complete the task in just 88 hours. This breakthrough relates to one of seven Millennium Prize Problems published by the Clay Mathematics Institute, which has been a challenge for humans for nearly a century. However, the announcement was met with controversy as mathematician Tristan Buckmaster claimed that OpenAI's work was accelerated upon learning that he and a researcher at Anthropic were close to making their own breakthrough. Buckmaster expressed concerns that the pair's work, stored in OpenAI's Codex model, could have been visible to the OpenAI team. OpenAI's researcher, Sebastien Bubeck, denied using the pair's work or accessing their data, but acknowledged that it might have improved their models. OpenAI utilized an advanced AI system that surpassed its latest GPT-6 Astra model to solve the Navier-Stokes problem. The company stated that this achievement aims to empower scientists to advance research and technology for the benefit of all humanity. This recent breakthrough in AI is demonstrating the potential of advanced artificial intelligence models to reshape and influence the field of mathematics.",
  "summary": "Company behind ChatGPT says 10,000 of its AI systems cracked the Navier-Stokes problem in 88 hours OpenAI claims to have solved a major mathematics problem that has stumped humans for nearly a century after spending millions of dollars on the artificial intelligence-led endeavour. The company behind ChatGPT said it had cracked the Navier-Stokes problem, one of seven Millennium Prize Problems…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nature",
        "title": "OpenAI claims huge maths breakthrough on a famed ‘Millennium Problem’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/openai-claims-huge-maths-breakthrough-on-a-famed-millennium-problem",
        "published": "2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "OpenAI says an internal model \"significantly more capable than GPT-6 Astra\" solved the Navier-Stokes problem using 10K concurrent agents working for 88 hours (Madison Mills/Axios)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/openai-says-an-internal-model-significantly-more-capable-than-gpt-6",
        "published": "2026-09-08T17:00:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The New York Times",
        "title": "What Is Navier-Stokes, the ‘Millennium’ Math Problem OpenAI Claims to Have Solved?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/what-is-navier-stokes-the-millennium-math-problem-openai-claims-to",
        "published": "2026-09-08T17:20:10.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Scientist",
        "title": "OpenAI has solved the Navier-Stokes Millennium problem using $15m of AI effort",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/openai-has-solved-the-navier-stokes-millennium-problem-using-15m-of",
        "published": "2026-09-08T17:58:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}