Terence Tao: AI's Efficiency Threatens the Childlike Wonder That Drives Mathematics
All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it
In a three-part Mastodon thread, mathematician Terence Tao argues that curiosity-driven play—like children inventing 'plus one' to win a number game—is essential to serious mathematics. He warns that modern AI tools, aimed at solving designated problems, can capture flags and score goals but at the cost of lessons learned, insights gained, and unexpected discoveries. Tao urges us to remember what it is like to be a child.
The flag is captured, the goal scored, and the problem is solved; but at the cost of lessons learned, insights gained, collaborations formed, and new targets located.