What is a math PhD now? Two mathematicians debate AI's impact in depth
AlexKontorovich · x · 2026-10-15
Mathematician Alex Kontorovich shares a long post about reconnecting with former Yale postdoc Thomas Koberda at an AMS meeting on "What the heck is a math PhD now?", then redoing the conversation in a shared Google Doc the next day.
- His short answer: a math PhD means deeply learning difficult mathematics, being able to orally explain every detail, and becoming the human world expert on some (however small) area.
- Koberda is more pessimistic than he is about what AI means for mathematics; they tried to make explicit the assumptions behind their conclusions, in a candid conversation where they didn't fully agree.
- A rare, thoughtful first-hand discussion of graduate math training's value in the AI era; long-form answer linked.
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