- A mathematician solved an 87-year-old mathematical problem (the Jacobian conjecture) with AI and announced it via tweet.
- The Jacobian conjecture, set in 1939 and on a list of 21st-century tough problems, was proven false with a 216-character counterexample.
- The AI used was likely Anthropic's Claude Fable 5, credited by the mathematician for helping during the World Cup final.
- This is considered the biggest conjecture AI has significantly impacted in mathematics, marking a major advance.
- The counterexample is simple to verify, but the method (including the AI prompt) remains unpublished.
- The result disproves the conjecture for three variables, leaving a two-variable version possibly still true.
- AI's role in finding counterexamples contrasts with building new mathematical theories, which still needs human creativity.
- Experts predict AI will soon produce PhD-level mathematics, potentially causing fundamental changes in the field.