Mathematicians debate AI superhuman reasoning: even solving Navier-Stokes wouldn't end human expertise
littmath · x · 2026-09-16
- A debate sparked by an essay imagining an AI solution to Navier-Stokes: Tony Feng argues that even if AI could solve any precisely formulated problem faster than humans, it wouldn't be "robustly" superhuman, since asking good questions is core to mathematics.
- Commenters agree human mathematicians remain essential, and AI actually makes it easier to become an expert by explaining concepts and walking through proofs.
- Consensus: academia should still start preparing for the future the essay depicts.
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