These Mathematicians Are Trying to Educate A.I.

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 7 min read 100% complete by Siobhan RobertsFebruary 7, 2026 at 11:02 AM

AI Summary

long article 7 min

Mathematicians, including Fields Medalist Martin Hairer, are investigating the capabilities of AI in solving complex mathematical problems. Prompted by concerns from students about AI's potential to make mathematicians obsolete, Hairer and colleagues from institutions like Stanford and Harvard have launched an experiment to test AI's ability to tackle unpublished research-level math questions. Their paper, "First Proof," details this effort to create a more accurate measure of AI's mathematical competence. The goal is to provide a nuanced perspective on AI's progress in mathematics, counteracting hype and preventing negative impacts on education and research funding. The project aims to determine if AI can generate genuinely new mathematical ideas, an area where large language models currently struggle.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

San Francisco Bay Area 40% Lauren Williams 50% Harvard University 50% Tamara Kolda 50% MathSci.ai 50% Mohammed Abouzaid 50% Stanford University 50% Imperial College London ×270% Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne ×270% Martin Hairer ×690%

Keywords

mathematics 100% artificial intelligence 100% large language models 80% a.i. competency 70% research-level math 60% mathematical problem solving 50% mathematical creativity 50% mathsci.ai 40% first proof 40%

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New York Times - World

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Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

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90%

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San Francisco Bay Area

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mathematics artificial intelligence large language models a.i. competency research-level math mathematical problem solving mathematical creativity mathsci.ai first proof

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