Artificial intelligence

AI’s greatest mathematical successes have come from answers to problems posed by a mid-20th century iconoclast. By examining what makes the Erdős problems unique, mathematicians are trying to understand how AI might change the rest of math.

The idea that artificial intelligence can “reason” is more intuitive than ever. But intuitions can be wrong, and the science is far from settled.

Our genetic heritage is not a blueprint or an algorithm, as many biologists have imagined, but something else entirely.

With automated proof-checkers, a problem can be broken up into small chunks, solved bit-by-bit, then reassembled with confidence that every piece is correct. For some, this heralds a new area in mathematical research.

AI is being used to prove new results at a rapid pace. Mathematicians think this is just the beginning.

Our tales of AI developing the will to survive, commandeer resources, and manipulate people say more about us than they do about language models.

The last decade has seen vast improvements in humanoid robots, but graduating to widespread use might require going back to the fundamentals.

Columnist Natalie Wolchover explores whether applied category theory can be “green” math.

The planet is getting hotter, but one factor in particular makes it hard to tell just how hot it will get. Physicists and computer scientists are racing to solve the problem of clouds.