25 Fields Medalists Sign Declaration Criticizing AI Companies' Approach to Mathematics

Twenty-five Fields Medalists, including Pierre Deligne and Yu Deng, released a declaration titled 'A Severe Misalignment of AI in Mathematics' on September 11. The document argues that AI companies' focus on using mathematical problem-solving as a benchmark for AI capability is detrimental to the scientific discipline and the mathematical community. The signatories contend that AI models prioritize answers over conceptual understanding, skipping the essential human process of verification and peer review. This follows recent controversies, including allegations of plagiarism against OpenAI and the cancellation of a Caltech 'Mathathon' event sponsored by OpenAI and Anthropic due to academic backlash.