Mathematician Kevin Buzzard: AI Is Transforming Math, and Colleagues Are Grieving
notmisha · x · 2026-10-04
Imperial College mathematician and Lean community figure Kevin Buzzard published a long-form essay arguing that AI for mathematics is transforming the field faster than ever, with language models solving problems humans could not.
He maps mathematicians' reactions onto Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief — citing the Association for Human Mathematics, whose members pledge to avoid AI-generated outputs and offer an "AI-free" research track — while he himself is extremely excited about the future.
He also predicts a new "natural boundary" in mathematics: far beyond where we are now, but a point where machines get stuck and further investment for the next big leap is no longer viable.
Related event: Mathematician Kevin Buzzard on AI's Upheaval of Mathematics(2 posts)→
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