Terence Tao

A model that solves a hard problem has learned nothing from it: the next session has forgotten it, with no new skill to carry to related problems.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Yeah, you you you're on a new session it's forgotten what what it just did. Um, it it has you know, it has no new skills to to attach to to to build on on on related problems. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:51:36 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsYeah, you you you're on a new session it's forgotten what what it just did. Um, it it has you know, it has no new skills to to attach to to to build on on on related problems.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

What AI still cannot do in mathematics is build cumulatively on partial progress; it is trial, error and brute force rather than an idea improving through use.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 There isn't this cumulative process which is, uh, sort of built up interactively. Um, it it it seems to be a lot more trial and error and just repetition, brute force, um, you know, which can see it scales and it can work amazingly well in in certain contexts, um, but yeah, this this idea this this sort of building up cumulatively from, um, from partial progress is kind of is what's still not quite there yet. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:50:55 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsThere isn't this cumulative process which is, uh, sort of built up interactively. Um, it it it seems to be a lot more trial and error and just repetition, brute force, um, you know, which can see it scales and it can work amazingly well in in certain contexts, um, but yeah, this this idea this this sort of building up cumulatively from, um, from partial progress is kind of is what's still not quite there yet.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Today's AI tools either solve a problem or fail at it, and are really bad at partial progress or at identifying which intermediate step to attack first.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 um you know, these tools they either succeed or they fail um and they they've been really bad at creating sort of partial progress or identifying intermediate um um stages that you should you should focus on first. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:33:53 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsum you know, these tools they either succeed or they fail um and they they've been really bad at creating sort of partial progress or identifying intermediate um um stages that you should you should focus on first.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

On any given problem an AI tool succeeds maybe one or two percent of the time; the headline results are what running it at scale and picking the winners looks like.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Uh but whenever we do a systematic study, um any given problem, an AI tool has a success rate of maybe 1 or 2%. Uh it's just that it's just that they can apply at scale and and you just pick the winners, it looks great. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:44:37 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsUh but whenever we do a systematic study, um any given problem, an AI tool has a success rate of maybe 1 or 2%. Uh it's just that it's just that they can apply at scale and and you just pick the winners, it looks great.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Almost every Erdős problem AI has solved was one with no literature behind it, which is the median level of what these tools can do.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Um So, like with the Erdős problems, you know, like almost all of the 50 problems that were solved by AIs were ones for which basically there was no literature. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:43:45 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsUm So, like with the Erdős problems, you know, like almost all of the 50 problems that were solved by AIs were ones for which basically there was no literature.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Current AI4Math systems largely operate as solvers of isolated, well-defined proofs rather than as researchers that expand mathematical knowledge.

1. Terence Tao 8 Jul 2026 Despite these strides, we argue that current AI4Math systems still largely operate as solvers, excelling at isolated, well-defined proof generation rather than as researchers capable of expanding the boundaries of mathematical knowledge. ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org · 8 Jul 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsDespite these strides, we argue that current AI4Math systems still largely operate as solvers, excelling at isolated, well-defined proof generation rather than as researchers capable of expanding the boundaries of mathematical knowledge.

   ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org

   8 Jul 2026

Solving one Olympiad problem with three days of Google's server time shows what is possible, but the approach does not scale.

1. Terence Tao 14 Jun 2025 Yeah, these are great work that shows what's possible. The approach doesn't scale currently. Three days of Google's server time can solve one high school math format there. This is not a scalable prospect, especially with the exponential increase as the complexity increases. ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com · 14 Jun 2025 · 1:45:31 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsYeah, these are great work that shows what's possible. The approach doesn't scale currently. Three days of Google's server time can solve one high school math format there. This is not a scalable prospect, especially with the exponential increase as the complexity increases.

   Where this was said

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   ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com

   14 Jun 2025 · video · 3h 14m · spoken · official transcript

AI excels at breadth and human experts at depth, which makes them complementary and makes today's depth-focused way of doing science the wrong shape.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Yeah, so they excel at breadth and humans excel at depth. Um like human experts at least. Yeah, so um I think they're very complementary. Um but our current uh way of doing math and science is focused on depth because that that's where the human uh expertise cuz humans can't do breadth. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:35:20 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsYeah, so they excel at breadth and humans excel at depth. Um like human experts at least. Yeah, so um I think they're very complementary. Um but our current uh way of doing math and science is focused on depth because that that's where the human uh expertise cuz humans can't do breadth.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

AI has made his papers richer and broader, but not deeper.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Uh yeah, so it's it's made papers sort of richer and broader, but not necessarily deeper. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:49:14 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsUh yeah, so it's it's made papers sort of richer and broader, but not necessarily deeper.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

The hardest part of solving a mathematical problem is the part AI has not touched; he still does it with pen and paper.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Um so yeah, the the the um the core of what I do, like actually solving um the most difficult part of of a math problem, that hasn't changed too much. I still use pen and paper for that. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:48:15 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsUm so yeah, the the the um the core of what I do, like actually solving um the most difficult part of of a math problem, that hasn't changed too much. I still use pen and paper for that.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Hybrid human-plus-AI teams will dominate mathematics for a lot longer, and a full replacement would need breakthroughs beyond anything we now have.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 I mean, I I I I do believe that that hybrid um human plus AIs will will dominate mathematics for a lot longer. It it's It will depend It will require some additional breakthroughs uh beyond what we already have. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 1:19:53 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI mean, I I I I do believe that that hybrid um human plus AIs will will dominate mathematics for a lot longer. It it's It will depend It will require some additional breakthroughs uh beyond what we already have.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Fully autonomous one-shot attempts are the wrong approach to the great unsolved problems; the mileage is in humans and tools working against each other.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 I I I I do feel that, you know, fully autonomous one-shot approaches are not the right approach for these problems. I mean, I I think you you'll get a lot more mileage out of the interplay between between humans collaborating with these tools. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:54:49 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI I I I do feel that, you know, fully autonomous one-shot approaches are not the right approach for these problems. I mean, I I think you you'll get a lot more mileage out of the interplay between between humans collaborating with these tools.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Most of the value that mathematics and mathematicians contribute to the world will not be replaced by AI, though it could be magnified by it.

1. Terence Tao 26 Sept 2026 Most of the value that flows into the world from mathematics and the work of mathematicians will not be replaced by AI, but could be magnified. ↗A value-based approach to mathematicsterrytao.wordpress.com · 26 Sept 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsMost of the value that flows into the world from mathematics and the work of mathematicians will not be replaced by AI, but could be magnified.

   ↗A value-based approach to mathematicsterrytao.wordpress.com

   26 Sept 2026

Lean and tools like GitHub will let experimental mathematics scale far beyond what one mathematician's spaghetti code allows today.

Mental modelLeverage

1. Terence Tao 14 Jun 2025 I think the platform that Lean and other software tools, so GitHub and things like that will allow experimental mathematics to scale up to a much greater degree than we can do now. ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com · 14 Jun 2025 · 1:34:39 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsI think the platform that Lean and other software tools, so GitHub and things like that will allow experimental mathematics to scale up to a much greater degree than we can do now.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 1:34:39 plays here

   ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com

   14 Jun 2025 · video · 3h 14m · spoken · official transcript

When formalising a proof costs no more than writing it, mathematics will flip: papers written in Lean first, and journals refereeing only for significance because correctness is certified.

1. Terence Tao 14 Jun 2025 And that's a phase shift, because suddenly it makes sense when you write a paper to write it in Lean first, or through a conversation with AI, which is generally on the fly with you, and it becomes natural for journals to accept. ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com · 14 Jun 2025 · 1:55:54 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsAnd that's a phase shift, because suddenly it makes sense when you write a paper to write it in Lean first, or through a conversation with AI, which is generally on the fly with you, and it becomes natural for journals to accept.

   Where this was said

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   ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com

   14 Jun 2025 · video · 3h 14m · spoken · official transcript

Formalising a proof in Lean currently takes about ten times the effort of writing it out: doable, but annoying.

1. Terence Tao 14 Jun 2025 So right now I estimate that the time and effort taken to formalize it, proof is about 10 times the amount taken to write it out. So it's doable, but it's annoying. ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com · 14 Jun 2025 · 1:25:23 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsSo right now I estimate that the time and effort taken to formalize it, proof is about 10 times the amount taken to write it out. So it's doable, but it's annoying.

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   ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com

   14 Jun 2025 · video · 3h 14m · spoken · official transcript

Natural-language LLM mathematical reasoners are fundamentally limited by lacking machine-checkable semantics, which blocks autonomous verification needed for open-ended research.

1. Terence Tao 8 Jul 2026 However, these LLM reasoners that generate informal reasoning in natural language are fundamentally limited by the lack of precise, machine-checkable semantics, making their outputs prone to hallucinations [Huang et al., 2025b] and precluding autonomous verification, a prerequisite for tackling open-ended mathematical research. ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org · 8 Jul 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsHowever, these LLM reasoners that generate informal reasoning in natural language are fundamentally limited by the lack of precise, machine-checkable semantics, making their outputs prone to hallucinations [Huang et al., 2025b] and precluding autonomous verification, a prerequisite for tackling open-ended mathematical research.

   ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org

   8 Jul 2026

The next advance in AI for mathematics requires shifting from predefined problem-solvers to research agents that address frontier challenges with formal reasoning.

1. Terence Tao 8 Jul 2026 We argue that the next leap in AI4Math systems requires a decisive shift from predefined problem-solvers to research agents that can address frontier mathematical challenges with rigorous formal mathematical reasoning. ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org · 8 Jul 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsWe argue that the next leap in AI4Math systems requires a decisive shift from predefined problem-solvers to research agents that can address frontier mathematical challenges with rigorous formal mathematical reasoning.

   ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org

   8 Jul 2026

AI systems are now capable of meaningful contributions to formal mathematics, not only informal problem-solving.

1. Terence Tao 8 Jul 2026 These developments inform our position that AI systems are now capable of meaningful contributions to formal mathematics, not merely informal problem-solving. ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org · 8 Jul 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsThese developments inform our position that AI systems are now capable of meaningful contributions to formal mathematics, not merely informal problem-solving.

   ↗From Solvers to Research: Large Language Model-Driven Formal Mathematics at the Research Frontier (with 18 co-authors)arxiv.org

   8 Jul 2026

Contributing to frontier mathematics no longer requires years of PhD training; with AI tools and Lean a high schooler can make a real contribution.

Mental modelLeverage

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Um but now it's quite possible at the high school level or or whatever that that you could get involved in math project and actually make a real contribution because of all these AI tools and and and Lean and everything else. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 1:22:45 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsUm but now it's quite possible at the high school level or or whatever that that you could get involved in math project and actually make a real contribution because of all these AI tools and and and Lean and everything else.

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   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

The structures of science now have to change, because the scarce thing is no longer proposing theories but verifying and evaluating the thousands anyone can now propose.

Mental modelsValue moves to what stays scarce, Verifiability

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 So, we're now in a situation where suddenly people can generate thousands of theories for a given scientific problem. And now we have to to verify them, evaluate them and this is something which we we have to to change our structures of science to actually sort this out. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:12:36 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsSo, we're now in a situation where suddenly people can generate thousands of theories for a given scientific problem. And now we have to to verify them, evaluate them and this is something which we we have to to change our structures of science to actually sort this out.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

AI has driven the cost of generating scientific ideas to almost zero, and just as with cheap communication before it, that by itself creates no abundance.

Mental modelValue moves to what stays scarce

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 So, I think AI has basically driven the cost of idea generation down to almost zero in a very similar way to how the internet drove the cost of communication down to almost zero, which is an amazing thing, but it you know, it it it doesn't make it doesn't create abundance by itself. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:12:15 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsSo, I think AI has basically driven the cost of idea generation down to almost zero in a very similar way to how the internet drove the cost of communication down to almost zero, which is an amazing thing, but it you know, it it it doesn't make it doesn't create abundance by itself.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

Automatic filters cannot replace community acceptance, and human referees cannot be removed from mathematical publication.

1. Terence Tao 17 Aug 2026 But passing an automatic filter is not a substitute for community acceptance; I do not believe that human referees can be removed from the publication process. ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org · 17 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsBut passing an automatic filter is not a substitute for community acceptance; I do not believe that human referees can be removed from the publication process.

   ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org

   17 Aug 2026

Whether a scientific idea was progress depends on a future and a culture that have not happened yet, so grading it may never be something you can reinforcement-learn.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 So, you you can't look at any given scientific achievement purely in isolation and give it an objective grade without being aware of the context both in the the past and the future. And so it it it may never be something that you can just reinforcement learn the same way that that you can for much sort of more localized problems. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:17:09 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsSo, you you can't look at any given scientific achievement purely in isolation and give it an objective grade without being aware of the context both in the the past and the future. And so it it it may never be something that you can just reinforcement learn the same way that that you can for much sort of more localized problems.

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   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

The value of a body of knowledge comes from the process of engaging with it, not just from its end products.

1. Terence Tao 26 Sept 2026 The value of math, like so many other forms of knowledge, also comes from the process, not just the product. ↗A value-based approach to mathematicsterrytao.wordpress.com · 26 Sept 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsThe value of math, like so many other forms of knowledge, also comes from the process, not just the product.

   ↗A value-based approach to mathematicsterrytao.wordpress.com

   26 Sept 2026

Improper use of AI offloads a person's thinking and learning, which mortgages a field's future development.

Mental modelSecond-order thinking

1. Terence Tao 26 Sept 2026 Improper usage of AI offloads thinking, understanding and learning, thus mortgaging future mathematical development. ↗A value-based approach to mathematicsterrytao.wordpress.com · 26 Sept 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsImproper usage of AI offloads thinking, understanding and learning, thus mortgaging future mathematical development.

   ↗A value-based approach to mathematicsterrytao.wordpress.com

   26 Sept 2026

Excessively AI-polished proofs can remove natural friction and become easy to read but hard to learn from.

Mental modelTrade-offs

1. Terence Tao 17 Aug 2026 An excessively AI-polished proof may sand away both the "artificial" friction (typos, awkward phrasing, disorganization) and the "natural" friction, leaving a text that is easy to read and hard to learn from. ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org · 17 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsAn excessively AI-polished proof may sand away both the "artificial" friction (typos, awkward phrasing, disorganization) and the "natural" friction, leaving a text that is easy to read and hard to learn from.

   ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org

   17 Aug 2026

Mathematics is entering a period of turbulence that will stress-test its implicit values and practices rather than its foundations of truth.

1. Terence Tao 17 Aug 2026 I believe that we are now entering a era of comparable turbulence in mathematics. This time, though, what is being stress-tested is not our foundational framework for mathematical truth, but rather the largely implicit framework of mathematical values and practices: what we consider a contribution to be, what we reward, what we regard as understood, and who - or what - we regard as having done the work. ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org · 17 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsI believe that we are now entering a era of comparable turbulence in mathematics. This time, though, what is being stress-tested is not our foundational framework for mathematical truth, but rather the largely implicit framework of mathematical values and practices: what we consider a contribution to be, what we reward, what we regard as understood, and who - or what - we regard as having done the work.

   ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org

   17 Aug 2026

Excessive optimization for one or two mathematical goals can cause previously aligned goals of mathematics to diverge.

Mental modelsWhen a measure becomes a target, Trade-offs

1. Terence Tao 17 Aug 2026 Consequently, excessive optimization for one or two goals may cause the many previously aligned goals of mathematics to diverge from one another; ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org · 17 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsConsequently, excessive optimization for one or two goals may cause the many previously aligned goals of mathematics to diverge from one another;

   ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org

   17 Aug 2026

The unwritten goals of mathematics must be made explicit, and examining and codifying them will leave the community stronger and more resilient.

1. Terence Tao 17 Aug 2026 I argue that it will become necessary to make these unwritten goals of mathematics much more explicit; but once we have thoroughly examined and codified them, our community will emerge stronger and more resilient than before. ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org · 17 Aug 2026All korrents from this piece

   Their wordsI argue that it will become necessary to make these unwritten goals of mathematics much more explicit; but once we have thoroughly examined and codified them, our community will emerge stronger and more resilient than before.

   ↗Mathematics in the age of AIarxiv.org

   17 Aug 2026

Within a decade AI will do the bulk of what mathematicians spend their time on, and we will discover that was never the important part of the job.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 Um I think with within a decade, a lot of things that mathematicians currently do um we we spend a lot of the bulk of our time doing and a lot of stuff we put in our papers today can be done by AI. Um but we will find that that actually wasn't the most important part of what we do. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 1:17:52 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsUm I think with within a decade, a lot of things that mathematicians currently do um we we spend a lot of the bulk of our time doing and a lot of stuff we put in our papers today can be done by AI. Um but we will find that that actually wasn't the most important part of what we do.

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   ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com

   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

We are living through a cognitive Copernican revolution: human intelligence is not the centre, and which tasks we count as requiring intelligence has to be re-evaluated.

1. Terence Tao 20 Mar 2026 you know, right now we're going through uh an in um an cognitive version of the Copernican revolution where we used to think that human intelligence is the center of the universe. And now we're actually seeing that there's there's very different types of intelligence um that that that are out there uh with very different strengths and weaknesses. ↗Terence Tao – How the world’s top mathematician uses AIyoutube.com · 20 Mar 2026 · 0:20:57 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsyou know, right now we're going through uh an in um an cognitive version of the Copernican revolution where we used to think that human intelligence is the center of the universe. And now we're actually seeing that there's there's very different types of intelligence um that that that are out there uh with very different strengths and weaknesses.

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   20 Mar 2026 · video · 1h 23m · spoken · machine transcript

His prediction that research-level mathematics papers would be written in collaboration with AI by 2026 has already come true.

1. Terence Tao 14 Jun 2025 There are certainly math results which could only have been accomplished because there was a human authentication and an AI involved, but it's hard to disentangle credit. I mean, these tools, they do not replicate all the skills needed to do mathematics, but they can replicate some non-trivial percentage of them, 30, 40%, so they can fill in gaps. ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com · 14 Jun 2025 · 1:59:04 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsThere are certainly math results which could only have been accomplished because there was a human authentication and an AI involved, but it's hard to disentangle credit. I mean, these tools, they do not replicate all the skills needed to do mathematics, but they can replicate some non-trivial percentage of them, 30, 40%, so they can fill in gaps.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 1:59:04 plays here

   ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com

   14 Jun 2025 · video · 3h 14m · spoken · official transcript

The stable one-profession career is becoming a thing of the past; what will still be needed alongside AI is reasoning with abstractions and problem-solving when things go wrong.

1. Terence Tao 14 Jun 2025 It's becoming much more a thing of the past. So I think you just have to be adaptable and flexible. I think people will have to get skills that are transferable, like learning one specific programing language or one specific subject of mathematics or something. That itself is not a super transferable skill, but sort of knowing how to reason with abstract concepts or how to problem solve when things go wrong. ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com · 14 Jun 2025 · 3:01:25 into the videoAll korrents from this video

   Their wordsIt's becoming much more a thing of the past. So I think you just have to be adaptable and flexible. I think people will have to get skills that are transferable, like learning one specific programing language or one specific subject of mathematics or something. That itself is not a super transferable skill, but sort of knowing how to reason with abstract concepts or how to problem solve when things go wrong.

   Where this was said

   Watch from 3:01:25 plays here

   ↗Terence Tao: Hardest Problems in Mathematics, Physics & the Future of AI | Lex Fridman Podcast #472youtube.com

   14 Jun 2025 · video · 3h 14m · spoken · official transcript