In brief
The event, attended by over 5,000 mathematicians, focused on the implications of A.I. in education, research, and mathematics itself.
The world’s largest assembly of mathematicians took place in Seattle from January 8 to January 11, drawing an impressive crowd of 5,444 participants and featuring 3,272 discussions. This year marked a notable shift in themes, centered around “Mathematics in the Age of A.I.,” a concept introduced by Bryna Kra, president of the American Mathematical Society. Hosted in collaboration with 16 partner organizations, the Joint Mathematics Meetings (J.M.M.) has been an annual event for over a century.Dr. Kra viewed the A.I. theme as a vital prompt for mathematicians. “A.I. is pervasive in our lives, and it’s crucial to think about how it influences teaching, student engagement, and ongoing research,” she stated in a recent interview with The New York Times. “We need to consider the implications of having A.I. as a co-author, among other pressing questions.”During the event's second evening, Yann LeCun, Meta's chief A.I. scientist, delivered a keynote address titled “Mathematical Obstacles on the Way to Human-Level A.I.” His talk ventured into technical topics, yet he managed to share accessible insights. “The current state of machine learning is that it sucks,” he remarked humorously, eliciting laughter from attendees. He further explained that the existing generative large language models are insufficient. Instead, he suggested that a “large-scale world model” might lead to advancements in technology, capable of reasoning and planning through predictive models of reality. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that certain mathematically challenging issues remain unresolved, complicating progress in the field.
