How much will AI replace the work of mathematicians?
Very soon, AI could become so embedded in mathematical research that the thought of conducting mathematics without it might be unthinkable. Some predict a future in which mathematics is conducted with no human in the loop whatsoever.
When this potential future scenario was posited by a host of different speakers at last year’s Heidelberg Laureate Forum, it provoked a strong and sometimes visceral reaction from the young mathematicians in attendance. While one young scientist said they would be delighted if AI took over and solved the Langlands program or the Riemann hypothesis, others were questioning whether they should continue in mathematics at all, if mathematicians were likely to become surplus to requirements.
This week on the HLFF Blog, Ben Skuse takes a look at: The Evolving Relationship Between AI and Mathematicians
Image caption: Richard Sutton (2024 ACM A.M. Turing Award), one of several speakers predicting a future AI-driven mathematics scenario, in conversation with attendees of the 12th Heidelberg Laureate Forum in 2025. Image credit: HLFF / Kreutzer)