25 Fields Medallists incl. Terence Tao push back on AI: solving problems is 'only a tool and proxy'
beglen · x · 2026-09-19
Framed by a joint declaration from 25 Fields Medallists including Terence Tao, this essay wrestles with what AI solving math problems is for. The signatories accept machines can now 'solve major outstanding problems in many fields of mathematics' but argue solving them is 'only a tool and proxy' for 'conceptual understanding and insight' — problems develop mathematicians, answers are by-products. The author reflects on calculators devaluing arithmetic and photography devaluing portrait painting, admitting he's less attached to his craft than the masters, and explores work where 'the crossing itself was the point.'
Related event: 25 Fields Medalists Sign Declaration Against AI Math Benchmarking(2 posts)→
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