The relationship between OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, and the mathematics community is quite nuanced. OpenAI has claimed responsibility for solving numerous mathematical problems, much to the chagrin of many mathematicians. During a recent speech at Stanford, Altman remarked that mathematicians have transitioned from feelings of outrage to a sense of acceptance regarding AI’s involvement in their field.
Altman likened mathematicians' emotional responses to the stages of grief. Initially, their reaction was one of disbelief. The shock of OpenAI's advancements led some to pessimistically declare the end of their profession. "The day one reaction was like, 'We're cooked, and our field is over,'" he explained. Many even advised their graduate students to pursue different career paths.
As the days progressed, emotions evolved into anger. "By day three, there was a sentiment of ‘It's terrible that OpenAI did this,’" Altman recounted while addressing an audience of anxious students concerned about their future career prospects.
However, within a week, there was a shift. Altman noted that mathematicians began to embrace AI’s emerging role within their profession. "We’ve witnessed a lot of people saying they will forge a different yet hopefully improved career as mathematicians," he explained.
This optimistic outlook from Altman contrasts sharply with the existential crisis that others in the mathematics community have expressed. After OpenAI made waves in September by announcing its models had cracked the historically challenging Navier-Stokes equations, prominent mathematicians voiced their outrage. Some claimed OpenAI had relied on their chat logs to develop its solutions, making the situation even more contentious. Additionally, while an AI model might have arrived at a solution, it didn’t provide the necessary proof, leaving mathematicians with the arduous task of validation.
This turmoil has spurred further debate. A group of undergraduate students at Caltech, concerned about the swift advancements in AI and their own relevance, organized a "mathathon" encouraging the use of AI to solve longstanding mathematical problems. Their efforts faced backlash, leading OpenAI to withdraw its sponsorship after over 700 academics signed a letter criticizing the event for endorsing what they termed "AI slop." The event is still set to proceed in November after the rules were revised.
In a related viewpoint, renowned mathematician Terence Tao from UCLA, who achieved his doctorate at a remarkably young age, expressed concern that the "romantic era" of mathematics is fading. He noted that leading academics now find themselves spending more time verifying AI outputs rather than engaging in traditional problem-solving. "Some things are being lost," Tao remarked, following OpenAI's announcement of having solved over 700 additional problems.
Amid these debates, Altman continues to project a hopeful perspective. He believes we won’t witness a "job apocalypse" driven by AI restructuring workplaces. In the realm of mathematics, however, he noted that the transformation has unfolded at a pace unmatched by other fields. "This has been the fastest cycle we’ve seen within any discipline," he concluded.
