A Mathematician's Ground Truth: AI Has Barely Changed Day-to-Day Math Research
littmath · x · 2026-09-30
Pushing back on the apocalyptic mood on X about AI and mathematics, a working mathematician's first-hand take: once you log off, the day-to-day of math research is really not that different — you can now talk to your computer about it, and sometimes it helps.
He notes high-quality math research has never been about looping through open conjectures; the most interesting work is open-ended exploration of phenomena. Talking to a computer can assist that, but he isn't worried about automation — the process only advances when he decides it does.
More from AGI Musings
- Stripe engineer's Shanghai travelogue: super apps removed the friction that fuels US personal AI agents — hazelcough · 2026-09-30
- Gary Marcus is the most accurate big name on AI prediction scoreboard: 11 of 11 correct — GaryMarcus · 2026-09-30
- New Research: AI as Tutor Beats AI as Substitute — and No AI — CackleRooster · 2026-09-30
- David Sacks floats a 'Bretton Woods of Super Intelligence' — DavidSacks · 2026-09-30
- Zvi's new essay sparks debate: rationalists can be ferocious agents, too — sebkrier · 2026-09-30
- Rob LeClerc: the null hypothesis should be that AI is a non-conscious tool, warns of over-attribution — robleclerc · 2026-09-30