This letter is complaining that human understanding has been crucial to advancing of mathematics, and AI companies are not bothering with it. But the promise (and horror) of AI mathematics is that, if it succeeds, human understanding becomes irrelevant. That's the goal. So this letter's message will fall on deaf ears.

Keep in mind employees at AI companies are publicly stating that they believe they're risking a >10% chance of human extinction. They're knowingly risking the lives of every man, woman, and child to continue the work. The lives of their own sons and daughters. A person already rationalizing that isn't going to shed a tear for the careers of mathematicians. Just a bug on the windshield.

▲

chrisjj 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> This letter is complaining that human understanding has been crucial to advancing of mathematics, and AI companies are not bothering with it.

Ironic or what. Mr Tao may be remembered as Mathematics' Canute.

▲

philipwhiuk 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The point of mathematics is human understanding though.

▲

Strilanc 3 hours ago | parent [-]

That's only one of mathematics' many purposes.

	▲	falcor84 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Exactly! What got me interested in memes as a kid is precisely the fact that mathematics is true in a way that is wholy independent of our understanding of it.

▲

robotpepi 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Keep in mind employees at AI companies are publicly stating that they believe they're risking a >10% chance of human extinction.

Are we really going to take what they say in public seriously?