Can AI Accelerate the Formalization of Theoretical Physics?
geoffreyirving · x · 2026-07-20
AI researcher Geoffrey Irving explores AI's potential in theoretical science. He suggests that theoretical physics exists in a "semi-formalized" state—less computationally rigorous than math based on Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory (ZFC)—though physicists usually know how to navigate its pitfalls.
He questions whether AI might accelerate mathematical research more than physics, given math's stricter formalization and extra verification mechanisms. Furthermore, he speculates whether AI will spawn a new wave of "toy models" in theoretical physics in the coming years, trading some physical approximations for fully formal verification.
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