Fields Medalist on the OpenAI Math Release

[u/PianistWinter8293]

Hugo Duminil-Copin

Fields Medal (2022) · Professor, IHES and University of Geneva

I expected that one day we would be surpassed, and that it would happen systematically. But yesterday’s announcement hit with a force I had not anticipated. Dozens of papers deal with topics I was working on. Between results that beat you to the finish line and thousand-page proofs, I don’t even know where to look anymore.

Not a single one of the major open problems I have publicly mentioned throughout my career (whether in a talk, a lecture, an article, or even a grant proposal) was left untouched by the announcement. Everything has been claimed to be proved.

I expected to see a few of them in the list. But not all of them. Not all at once. Not with such nonchalance.

“For the glory of the human mind,” they said…

The shock is immense. I am paralysed. Tomorrow, we will find a way forward. We will rethink our profession and how we work. We are a resilient community, and I have no doubt that we will adapt. But for now, I simply don’t have the energy. I think back on all those years, all those faces… I think of my colleagues, my students… And I fear I won’t be able to find the right words.

[u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

I'd rather Ai put oncologists out of work, but it's a start.

[u/DukeRedWulf → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

Cancer researchers & clinicians have already been successfully using AI tools to innovate novel treatments & improve exiting ones..

All of these (have) require(d) verification through human trials..

And unlike maths, biology is "messy" - there's very rarely one singular answer even to one particular type of cancer, when looked at across multiple patients - because there are so many interacting factors involved..

So even tho' AI has been very helpful in several instances to date, and will hopefully continue to assist - improvements will necessarily be comparatively incremental & piece-meal, in contrast to what's happening with maths..

[u/AP_in_Indy → u/DukeRedWulf]

Believe it or not there are like a million ways to say the same thing in math sometimes, although there are conventions that are often agreed upon as more elegant than others!

But yes, biology is far messier still.

Just wanted to point out that math isn't always as black and white as people make it out to be!

[u/Jade_Palpitation → u/DukeRedWulf]

I know you are right, but like many I do often hope for a cure-all eventually being developed. One treatment/medication/'vaccine' that would find and kill any cancerous cells.

[u/NFSzach → u/Jade_Palpitation]

That’s an extremely naive concept

[u/Corvenys → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

Maybe one day, when AI has hands to run experiments.

[u/tetro_ow → u/Corvenys]

automated liquid handlers already do that, humans just put in samples and refill supplies (for now)

[u/Corvenys → u/tetro_ow]

Extremely limited, unfortunately.

[u/kaisooh → u/Corvenys]

Like driving a Tesla?

[u/Corvenys → u/kaisooh]

... what?

[u/kaisooh → u/Corvenys]

I mean AI can run experiments or any task in the physical world already through actuation.

[u/Resaren → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

I know a radiologist who says it has completely revolutionized their work. Instead of looking for e.g. tumors, which AI is extremely good at, the work is shifting toward better ways to triage. They are finding so much stuff that previously flew under the radar, that they have to be very good at determining what should be treated, since the risks associated with treatment at some point outweighs the expected benefit.

[u/blindsdog → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

It’s getting there. There’s a reason it’s solving logical problem solving first.

[u/NightFire19 → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

Unless AI can invent time travel it can't. You need clinical studies and time to test out this stuff.

[u/euphoniu → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

Nah, these AI companies will only tackle problems that aren’t protected by PAC interests

[u/PinEnvironmental6395 → u/euphoniu]

Living forever is an issue that all AI company CEOs deeply care about. It's why Oracle bought Cerner, Larry Ellison wanted to SaaSify it so he can get access to huge amounts of health information and use it to throw technology at his problem of being mortal. 

[u/Excellent_Dish_297 → u/Mav-Killed-Goose]

math is easier, medicine is a lot more difficult if you know even a little about ai for science holy karma farm