TCS researcher reflects on problem-solving vs theory-building in the AI era
jasondeanlee · x · 2026-09-14
Theoretical computer scientist Pravesh Kothari shared a thread reflecting on AI and theory.
- TCS has traditionally been organized around a few major open questions, with problem-motivated work driving the field
- This path often led to theory-building aimed at unifying classes of theorems, but it also required proving new, difficult theorems
- He admits the community may have disproportionately focused on and celebrated problem-solving — defensible historically, but worth reexamining as AI reshapes the landscape
A substantive take on how theory communities should position themselves in the AI era.
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