Terence Tao and 24 Fields Medalists Publish Open Letter Defending Mathematics in the Age of AI

Terence Tao and 24 other Fields Medalists have published an open letter defending mathematics in the age of AI. The authors argue that the goals of AI companies and the goals of the mathematical community have diverged significantly, and the race for solutions to open problems may not only fail to advance science but also devalue intellectual labor.

The authors do not claim that AI should be banned or that AI in mathematics should be prohibited. On the contrary, they acknowledge that AI can significantly accelerate progress. Their concern is not that AI will take away their jobs, but rather how the process of solution is occurring.

Specifically, solutions are announced in haste, without highlighting new methods and proper citation.

1. This raises purely ethical questions of attribution and plagiarism.
2. Such an approach complicates the reuse of results. A final proof does not equal understanding. Yes, the fact of solving some open problem is important. But science is driven not so much by this as by reports, discussions, and the adaptation of ideas and methods from proofs. If the scientific community cannot thoroughly examine, discuss, and transform into transferable knowledge the solutions that AI churns out in bulk, then science and intellectual labor will ultimately be devalued.

The letter does not call for stopping AI and does not even formulate specific measures. The authors merely outline the problem and urge consideration of how, in the age of AI proofs, we do not lose sight of the purpose of all this work.

By the way, the letter has already garnered over 3000 signatures from researchers and mathematicians.