Fields Medalist Gowers pens long essay: can't confidently say AI extinction risk is near zero
michael_nielsen · x · 2026-10-16
Fields Medalist Timothy Gowers published a long blog post detailing his struggle to assess AI extinction risk, aimed at mathematicians.
Key points:
- Fellow Fields Medalist Jacob Tsimerman announced after receiving his medal that he was pivoting from math research to AI safety, founding the Mathematical AI Safety Institute (MAISI); Gowers joined its scientific advisory panel.
- Gowers joined not out of conviction but because he genuinely doesn't know how worried to be — and given the stakes, wants more serious thinkers on the problem.
- He agrees international treaties would matter far more than mathematical theory in the short term, but endorses the "all hands on deck" view: even reducing x-risk probability by 0.1% saves an enormous expected number of lives.
- He argues mathematicians' training makes them well suited to contribute and urges the community to engage with AI safety.
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