Mathematicians Hate AI. They Can’t Quit It
Mathematician Alex Buckmaster discusses the tension between his ethical concerns regarding AI and the practical necessity of using tools like OpenAI's Codex for research. The piece explores the controversy surrounding AI's role in solving complex mathematical problems and the lack of credit given to human researchers.
Why it matters
It highlights the ethical and professional dilemmas faced by academics as AI tools become integrated into high-level scientific research.
But that’s not been enough for him to stop using the company’s models—and he’s not the only mathematician that feels that way.
“Even if you don't agree with any of this, you're kind of stuck. With AI being so useful, it's hard to completely prevent oneself from using it,” Buckmaster tells WIRED. “These companies have a monopoly, and there is not much choice,” he adds.
In the week and half since the New York University professor accused OpenAI of copying his approach, Buckmaster has been using the company’s coding agent Codex to tidy up his research papers. When he has time to do math (which he says is rare, since the fallout thrust him into the spotlight), the tool has been helping him understand the logical steps OpenAI’s agents might have taken to get from his earlier workings to the final proof.
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