Lior Pachter declines to sign Fields medalists' AI-math letter, and indicts mathematics itself
lpachter · x · 2026-09-13
Computational biologist Lior Pachter explains why he won't sign "A Severe Misalignment of AI in Mathematics", the letter initiated by 25 Fields medalists after OpenAI's claimed Navier-Stokes solution.
- He agrees AI companies' goals are misaligned with "conceptual understanding and insight": solutions are announced in a rush with no proper writeup, method isolation, or citation of prior work.
- But notes the irony: the signatories admit they rushed the letter itself for lack of time.
- The sharper turn: if mathematicians truly valued conceptual understanding, they would nurture "students and ideas" as their most precious resources — a standard the community has historically failed. He cites Juliusz Schauder (PhD 1923), whose career was damaged by antisemitism within mathematics despite foundational contributions like the Leray–Schauder degree.
His conclusion: the misalignment isn't only with AI companies; the mathematical community must first align with its own stated values.
Related event: Fields Medalists' Open Letter on AI Sparks Cross-Disciplinary Debate(6 posts)→
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