Published around September 11, 2026, this Scientific American article examines how AI systems now capable of solving longstanding mathematical problems are prompting a values crisis within the mathematics community. It cites mathematician Terence Tao describing a ‘crisis in our mathematical values and practices,’ and profiles divided reactions, from Fields medalist Jacob Tsimerman shifting his focus to AI safety work to other mathematicians like Michael Harris calling for collective resistance to AI use in the field. The piece frames the central tension as whether mathematics exists to advance human understanding or simply to solve problems efficiently, and whether AI leaves room for future mathematicians’ own discoveries.
