All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Terence Tao argues AI risks squashing the playful, curiosity-driven exploration essential to pure mathematics.
Tao contrasts childlike mathematical play (e.g., the 'plus one' game revealing infinity via proof by negation) with prematurely optimizing toward nominal goals. He warns that modern AI tools, directed at solving open problems without expert supervision, capture the flag but destroy the slow, whimsical journey that produces insights, collaborations, and new questions. He urges remembering the value of unstructured exploration in basic science.
What commenters are saying
Many commenters agree with Tao's sentiment, seeing parallels in other domains (e.g., pinatas as inefficient fun, children's joy in hitting vs adult goal-focus). Some extend the argument: one notes that brute-force AI is the 'ultimate bureaucratic adult,' measuring math in exaflops, not wonder. A camp worries that society's prioritization of solving problems over enjoying the process will inevitably trivialize new problems created for their own sake.
A sub-thread delves into pinatas: some find them violent, others see harmless destruction play. A few commenters discuss ADHD, Scottish cultural loss, and the need for academia to fund its own ethical AI company to preserve research values.