Post-Cutoff

A value-based approach to mathematics

Ivan Corwin (guest post on Terence Tao's blog)Blog

Why it matters

A Columbia probabilist’s framework, on Tao’s blog, for what mathematicians add when AI can produce proofs.

Summary

Guest post by Ivan Corwin (Columbia). He names four places where mathematicians add value (society, students, the research community, individuals) and argues that AI could amplify mathematics’ impact but erode learning if it replaces understanding: “Improper usage of AI offloads thinking, understanding and learning, thus mortgaging future mathematical development”; “The value of math … also comes from the process, not just the product.” He asks mathematicians to explain that value to the public and funders, reward teaching and public work, and use AI to improve both process and product. The post notes it was converted from another file format using AI. 21 comments.

Archived text

Short quotes only (see Summary). Full text at the URL.

Source: terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/26/a-value-based-approach-to-mathematics

Cited in

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    Summer 2026 flood: dozens of named conjectures settled on arXiv with disclosed AI help

People in this post

Terence Tao, Professor of mathematics, UCLA