How will AI change mathematics? Rise of chatbots highlights discussion

AI tools have allowed researchers to solve complex mathematical problems.Credit: Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty As interest in chatbots spreads like wildfire, mathematicians are beginning to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) could help them to do their work. Whether it's assisting with verifying human-written work or suggesting new ways to solve difficult problems, automation is beginning to change the field in ways that go beyond mere calculation, researchers say. "We're looking at a very specific question: will machines change math?" says Andrew Granville, a number theorist at the University of Montreal in Canada. A workshop at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), this week explored this question, aiming to build bridges between mathematicians and computer scientists. "Most mathematicians are completely unaware of these opportunities," says one of the event's organizers, Marijn Heule, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.