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Make things better by making better things.
Astra, OpenAI’s new advanced model, has solved 10 unsolved math problems.
The question is: Has AI solved math now?
There are two schools of thought here:
While it is clear that the door to new mathematical possibilities is open, the need for more mathematicians is even more important now. What kind of problems can we solve now that we couldn’t before?
And if the job of a mathematician has gone from thinking deeply about problems to autocompletion, well, you’re not going to keep the talent around or create new proteges.
For now, I tend to fall into the camp that if you have imagination and are creative, your work has never been more exciting. The doomers, however, are going to keep finding evidence that things are falling apart.
It’s worth pointing out that six months ago, we were comparing models to Master’s and PHD students. And now? We have proofs that are so complicated the foremost experts are having a hard time understanding. Leaving many of us having to take the AI’s word on faith.
What an amazing and weird time to be alive.