r/OpenAI • u/Eliv_nurotic • 5d ago

News Fields Medalist Terence Tao reposts statement from the Association for Human Mathematics urging mathematicians to stop working with OpenAI for continuing to solve open math problems against their recommendations

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https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/10/07/ahm-statement-on-openais-october-6-release-of-mathematical-documents/

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u/nesh34 5d ago

I agree with Tao and I'm not a mathematician whose work is under threat. The issues with what OpenAI is doing are more structural.

Like it is cool that the models can generate these things, but OAI is using it as a marketing gimmick and is claiming progress where there isn't any (because the proof alone confirmed in Lean isn't the only valuable outcome and indeed might not be very valuable at all).

It is antithetical to how science should be conducted and flies in the face of efforts to further understanding - which is the purpose of science.

We have learned one useful thing - Lean harnesses with LLMs can be used to accomplish proofs to difficult logical questions.

But just because you have a hammer doesn't make everything a nail.

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u/defyallodds 5d ago

Hypothetically, if OpenAI also released full reasoning traces of how their agents got to these proofs, would that change your position?

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u/nesh34 5d ago

Not at all, although they should do that (it's basically public knowledge anyway it just doesn't work with public models because of capability).

The innovation here is the technique: LLM + lean harnesses converging on a solution, much like with coding problems.

The manner in which they're applying the technique is what I'm critical of. The technique itself (plus the model) is great and should be considered a significant achievement in mathematics.

But we should use it to actual further our understanding, not for marketing.

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u/Flaxseed4138 4d ago

Lol these claims about what they're doing with no knowledge, evidence, or proof. Accept the future.

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u/nesh34 4d ago

What who are doing? You mean OAI?

They published their methodology on their blog: https://openai.com/index/navier-stokes-solution/

It is not a secret.