From 'we're cooked' to AI acceptance: Sam Altman on mathematicians' changing fears

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says mathematicians are beginning to accept artificial intelligence as part of their profession after initially fearing that the technology could make their field obsolete. Speaking at Stanford University, Altman described how the mathematical community’s reaction to AI shifted rapidly from disbelief and anxiety to anger and, eventually, adaptation.“The day one reaction was like, ‘We’re cooked, and our field is over,’” Altman said, recalling how some researchers feared for the future of their careers. By around the fifth day, however, he said mathematicians had started considering how AI could reshape their work.“We’ve now seen a lot of people say, actually, I’m going to have a different but hopefully better kind of career as a mathematician,” he said.