25 Fields Medalists Warn AI Benchmarks Could Hollow Out Mathematics
A declaration signed by 25 Fields Medalists says AI companies are optimizing for spectacular mathematical problem-solving while missing what mathematics is for: developing durable ideas, methods, and people. The signatories argue that treating landmark problems as benchmarks can strip away the slow process of explanation, debate, and teaching that turns a result into shared knowledge. The warning reaches beyond math, to any science where measurable wins can displace understanding.