Sinofsky: mathematicians embraced every computing tool for 200 years — AI backlash breaks tradition
inductionheads · x · 2026-09-12
Responding to the Fields Medalists' declaration warning of misalignment between AI companies and mathematicians, ex-Microsoft exec Steven Sinofsky pushes back: mathematicians originated computing, from Babbage through early programming languages, programmable calculators, PCs and symbolic math AI like MACSYMA, muMath and Mathematica.
He recalls the math library being the only place to borrow programmable calculators on his campus, with math labs adopting PCs and symbolic math before other departments. Today's resistance, he argues, is inconsistent with 200 years of embracing new tools to solve harder problems — worth examining what's really going on.
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