Maths nerds, get ready: an AI is about to write its own proofs

It might come as a surprise to some people that this prediction hasn't already come to pass. Given that mathematics is a subject of logic and precision, it would seem to be perfect territory for a computer. However, in 2021, we will see the first truly creative proof of a mathematical theorem by an artificial intelligence (AI). As a mathematician, this fills me with excitement and anxiety in equal measure. Excitement for the new insights that AI might give the mathematical community; anxiety that we human mathematicians might soon become obsolete. But part of this belief is based on a misconception about what a mathematician does.