Winners of the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics, have raised concerns over AI companies competing to solve unsolved mathematical problems.
According to AFP, 25 Fields Medalists, including Korean-American mathematician June Huh, a professor at Princeton University, and Terence Tao, warned in a joint letter that AI's race to solve math problems could cause long-term damage to the field of mathematics.
The Fields Medalists argue that solving problems in mathematics is not the ultimate goal in itself.
"Solving problems is merely a tool and a proxy to achieve the fundamental goal of conceptual understanding and insight," they explained.
They also emphasized that the process of gaining mathematical understanding and insight requires time, and that interaction among humans is crucial.
"As AI transforms how work is performed, we must ensure we do not lose sight of what that work was originally intended to achieve," they stated.