If AI solves a 200-year-old math problem today, is that better than waiting?
nathanbenaich · x · 2026-09-26
Responding to the argument that AI skipping to a math solution in an opaque way could deprive humanity of essential knowledge discovered along the way, the poster pushes back: if a problem has gone unsolved for 200 years, having a solution today beats waiting another 200 years.
A representative debate in AI for math: does the discovery process itself hold independent value, or does the final answer matter most?
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