18 June 2026

There was an interesting article in the recent issue of ‘New Scientist’ entitled, ‘A Revolution in Maths’. The summary of the article ran like this, ‘The stunning progress AI is making in maths is leaving some questioning whether there will still be room for humans.’ discovers Alex Wilkins.

It is only in the last few years that mathematicians have become aware that AI has the potential to revolutionise the field of mathematics. This is leaving some mathematicians worried about their jobs. If a mathematician chose to study a particular field, how will he know whether  AI will beat him to it?

Some clearly welcome  the mechanisation of mathematics which has become increasingly collaborative since the middle of last century. Now there is collaboration not only with other mathematicians but with AI too. ‘The future will be some combination of human and machine.’ said one mathematician.

Whereas some mathematicians find fulfilment in solving a problem, others are more interested in simply understanding the mathematics. Whereas in the past a mathematician struggled to be the first to prove a theorem, now they may struggle to be the first to understand the AI proof!

‘It opens up a world of possibility,’ said Alex Kontorovich, Rutgers University, New Jersey. ‘I can imagine projects I could undertake this summer, things that I know would have taken me five years that I would never have even started.’

Are there things which mathematicians can do that AI cannot? Alex Wilkins writes, ‘Many mathematicians remained adamant that it was only humans that could decide what was interesting to work on or what the important problems to tackle should be.’ And what are the things about God which human beings cannot replicate?