The dark art of maths and the AI revolution

In a recent letter to The Guardian, Emeritus Professor Bev Littlewood addresses the ongoing tension between mathematicians and the rise of artificial intelligence. Responding to reports of mathematicians feeling unsettled by AI’s ability to solve complex problems like the Navier-Stokes equations, Littlewood suggests that the field of mathematics is essentially the architect of its own current predicament. He argues that mathematics has served as the primary driver behind the AI revolution. To illustrate the historical skepticism toward the field, Littlewood cites St. Augustine, who famously warned against the influence of mathematicians. By framing the current AI advancement through this historical lens, the letter highlights the irony that the very discipline fueling modern technological breakthroughs is now grappling with the existential discomfort caused by its own creations. The correspondence underscores the complex, often uneasy relationship between human mathematical expertise and the rapid, autonomous progress of machine learning.