Subscribe now

Comment and Humans

AI should be seen as an ally to human mathematicians, not a threat

AI is becoming smarter all the time, but mathematicians needn't fear they will be replaced by machine intelligence, argues Junaid Mubeen

By Junaid Mubeen

8 June 2022

New Scientist Default Image

Michelle D’urbano

WHEN 18-time international Go champion Lee Sedol retired from the game in 2019, mathematicians everywhere will have shared a moment of quiet introspection. Three years earlier, Lee had been beaten 4-1 by an artificial intelligence, DeepMind’s AlphaGo. Having observed the machine’s rapid pace of progress since then, Lee concluded that AI is an “entity that cannot be defeated” – at least by human Go players – a verdict that prompted his retirement.

AI’s triumph in a game as complex as Go might signal that mathematics, a subject that it has had in its cross hairs from its beginnings, is also ripe for automation. As …

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 14th June 2023.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account