Terence Tao on generative AI in mathematics: Erdős solutions are 'cheap wins'

Summary

Much of the excitement around the news has stemmed from the adjudicator of these AI-written proofs: Terence Tao, a UCLA professor who is widely considered to be the world’s greatest living mathematician, reported The Atlantic. When Tao was interviewed about what AI can offer mathematics, he was more tempered. The AI-generated Erdős solutions are impressive, he said, but not overwhelmingly so: The bots have functionally landed some “cheap wins,” Tao said. See more about UCLA in today’s LAist, New York Times and other outlets.