Mathematicians around the world are very angry with Sam Altman's OpenAI
OpenAI has withdrawn its sponsorship of a Caltech math hackathon following backlash from mathematicians concerned about the impact of AI on research integrity. Academics argue that AI-generated 'slop mathematics' forces human researchers to perform uncompensated labor to verify or discredit AI claims.
Why it matters
It underscores the growing friction between AI developers and the scientific community regarding the ethics and reliability of automated research tools.
OpenAI has pulled its support for a Caltech mathematics event after a group of current and former mathematicians criticised the growing use of AI in mathematical research. According to a Business Insider report, the dispute comes as AI companies increasingly use large language models (LLMs) to tackle difficult research problems. Notably, the ChatGPT maker was one of the companies supporting Caltech's "math hackathon", where participants use AI tools to work on open mathematical problems. OpenAI researcher Dan Roberts said on Thursday (September 10) that the company would no longer sponsor the event.The decision followed an open letter from Caltech mathematicians who warned that the event "is likely to have destructive impacts for the mathematical community."Why mathematicians are angry with OpenAI and other AI companiesThe mathematicians' main concern is not simply the use of AI in mathematics.
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