From building machine gods to banning ML in class: academia's AI split
RexDouglass · x · 2026-09-30
Responding to a thread on mathematicians' attitudes toward AI, Rex Douglass notes that about a third of mathematicians identify as applied makers who directly built technologies that slashed human suffering in the 20th-21st centuries, making the prevalence of Luddites odd.
He says he personally knows people across the whole spectrum—from building a "machine god" to banning any ML tooling in their classes and "completely screwing their students"—and quips the field will eat itself long before the CS kids get to them.
Related event: Academia Splits Thirds Over AI Adoption(2 posts)→
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