OpenAI wants to consult elite mathematicians about how to not fumble again
TL;DR
After turning a string of spectacular mathematical results into a reputational crisis, OpenAI is consulting human mathematicians to help it figure out a less disastrous path forward. On Monday, the company announced a new independent panel of mathematicians tasked with advising it and other AI companies on their interactions with mathematical research and the wider mathematics community, including how new results are presented and released. Its abrupt arrival caught many mathematicians by surprise.
Nauti's Take
An independent panel is a sensible move, since AI has real potential in mathematics and needs the trust of the research community to realize it. As long as it's unclear what authority the mathematicians have and whether OpenAI will act on their advice, the risk remains that this is mostly image repair.
Researchers benefit if new results get proper vetting and transparent release, yet they should keep waiting for independent verification of any headline-grabbing claim.
Sources