Mathematicians Hate AI. They Can’t Quit It
Isabella WardScienceSep 19, 2026 6:00 AMMathematicians Feel Threatened by AI. With AI being so useful, it's hard to completely prevent oneself from using it,” Buckmaster tells WIRED. “These companies have a monopoly, and there is not much choice,” he adds.In the week and half since the New York University professor accused OpenAI of copying his approach, Buckmaster has been using the company’s coding agent Codex to tidy up his research papers.
- ▪Isabella WardScienceSep 19, 2026 6:00 AMMathematicians Feel Threatened by AI.
- ▪With AI being so useful, it's hard to completely prevent oneself from using it,” Buckmaster tells WIRED.
- ▪“These companies have a monopoly, and there is not much choice,” he adds.In the week and half since the New York University professor accused OpenAI of copying his approach, Buckmaster has been using the company’s coding agent Codex to tidy
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| Original publisher | WIRED |
| Canonical URL | https://www.wired.com/story/mathematicians-cant-quit-ai/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 19 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-19T10:08:46.901Z |
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Isabella WardScienceSep 19, 2026 6:00 AMMathematicians Feel Threatened by AI. They Can’t Quit ItPowerful AI models have created an existential risk to the field, but researchers can’t stop relying on them because they’re too useful.Photo-Illustration: Wired Staff; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyMathematician Tristan Buckmaster believes OpenAI used his work to rush ahead and beat him to solving a legendary math problem with a $1 million bounty.But that’s not been enough for him to stop using the company’s models—and he’s not the only mathematician that feels that way.“Even if you don't agree with any of this, you're kind of stuck. With AI being so useful, it's hard to completely prevent oneself from using it,” Buckmaster tells WIRED.
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