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What's the future for pure math research in the age of AI?

59 points · 46 comments · 6bitquant

  1. ghusto · · focus · HN ↗
    The desperately needed TL;DR is that perhaps the actual mathematics itself (i.e. proofs, calculations, etc.) can be done by AI, but why we do it and deciding which problems to solve can only be done by AI. Therefore mathematician do maths.

    I'm not a mathematician, but this seems like a weak and slightly bizarre argument.

    1. smitty1e · · focus · HN ↗
      If training data are purely historical, then how does the AI look forward?

      And if human mathematicians are drummed out of producing future training data, then can AI end up proving itself so much "eating the seed corn", only at scale?

      1. dfdydx · · focus · HN ↗
        If training data are purely historical, then how does the human look forward?

        Seems to me not impossible that given current knowledge, AI generate one nugget more of knowledge (eg a proof of Navier Stokes), and given current knowledge + the nugget, generate yet some more new knowledge.

        Not a given, but not obviously impossible either.

        1. smitty1e · · focus · HN ↗
          > how does the human look forward

          Well, through the metaphysical lens that has both powered innovation and stumped the Really Smart Types since antiquity.

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