Terence Tao Calls for Slowing AI in Mathematics, Warning of 'Proof Indigestion'

Summary

Terence Tao used a SAIR talk to criticize AI model companies for accelerating mathematics without knowing what comes next, saying, "We must slow down." He described a normal proof lifecycle—proposing a solution, mechanical verification, exposition, peer review, and textbook incorporation—and said AI is racing through generation and Lean formalization while the later stages stall, creating "proof indigestion": proofs no human understands or publishes. He warned of long-term risks including loss of mathematical creativity and data contamination, comparing repeated AI-generated proofs to the cumulative defects of cloned mice. Previously, he called AI in math and theoretical physics "ready for primetime" and said mathematics was undergoing a Copernican revolution. The source also reports that Cédric Villani was stunned by OpenAI having solved a Millennium Prize problem and that 25 Fields medalists signed a joint open letter criticizing OpenAI and other model companies.