I think you overestimate the level of math required in AI and at the same time I think you underestimate the math skills of John. AI runs on GPUs, Quake 2 engine was one of the first to optimized for GPUs (OpenGL).

I'm pretty excited to see him in this domain. I think he'll focus on some DeepSeek style improvements.

this.

Having JC focusing on, say, writing a performant OSS CUDA replacement could be bigger than any of the last 20 announcements from openai/goggle/deepmind/etc

GLQuake was released 11 months before Quake 2.

This feels like an understatement. At the time, young me had the impression Carmack came first, then the industry created 3dfx/OpenGL to run his games better. I still have nothing but respect for his skills decades later.