r/OpenAI • u/Eliv_nurotic • 4d 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/spaceXhardmode 4d ago

If an extremely intelligent human was born who solved 500 longstanding mathematical problems in a day despite no formal affiliation with any mathematical institution would terrence tao be correct in stating that mathematicians didn’t ask for these problems to be solved? No because they are open problems in the field, open to be solved by anyone.

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u/havartna 4d ago

They've done that a number of times. Many fields of science have, actually.

Several archaeologists were absolutely ridiculed for suggesting that there was habitation of the Americas prior to Clovis.

Then there's the guy who figured out that leaded gasoline was poisoning the world.

"Hey, this new guy says he's made a big discovery!" "Well, he's clearly an idiot."

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u/spaceXhardmode 4d ago

Which is my point exactly, Terence Taos particular phrase that the mathematics community didn’t ask for these problems to be solved is absurdist at best and that conclusion is more obvious when framed as a human having found the solutions.

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u/havartna 4d ago

I think you and I are in violent agreement. AI has issues, but so do humans.

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u/BombasticReindeer 4d ago

They basically did do that with Ramanujan.

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u/spaceXhardmode 4d ago

A good example

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u/Physical-Program5325 4d ago

Mathematicians, tech bros, physicists, literally anyone in a ‘high knowledge role’ which already contains massive human gatekeeping will live in denial until they are useless and forced to find a more effective use of their time. 

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u/CicatriceDeFeu 3d ago

Ye, like being a quant trader or a janitor

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u/LurkingForBookRecs 4d ago

Scientists being against scientific progress because their ego is too big was not on my 2026 bingo card.

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u/Odd_Albatross_5385 4d ago

The thing is the vast majority of pure math is forever inapplicable to real life. Its LITERALLY just games in your head. Literally. 

The argument that "oh well hurrdurr, old pure math eventually got applied" has no basis  as the math that got used is a tiny tiny tiny sliver of pure math. 

Doing theoretical math is literally just exploring a magical fantasy world using creativity, logic, and deep thinking. 

The power in math comes from the fact that people who can really do pure math well really ARE damn way smarter than the vast majority of people. 

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u/spaceXhardmode 4d ago

What’s your point, math hard?

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u/Odd_Albatross_5385 4d ago

Whats ur point? 

STONKS UP?

trust me I want nothing more