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Comment by Strilanc | Hacker News Reader

This letter is complaining that human understanding has been crucial to advancing of mathematics, and AI companies are not bothering with it. But the promise (and horror) of AI mathematics is that, if it succeeds, human understanding becomes irrelevant. That's the goal. So this letter's message will fall on deaf ears.

Keep in mind employees at AI companies are publicly stating that they believe they're risking a >10% chance of human extinction. They're knowingly risking the lives of every man, woman, and child to continue the work. The lives of their own sons and daughters. A person already rationalizing that isn't going to shed a tear for the careers of mathematicians. Just a bug on the windshield.

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> So this letter's message will fall on deaf ears

AI companies are alienating the communities they serve. Instead of a win-win dynamic, they are keen on a win-lose proposition. You dont win trust by one-upping your customer. This is unfortunate and suggests a lack of adults in the room. It also reeks of hubris and is all good when making profits is not a concern. But watch the narrative shift when there is an AI slowdown which is inevitable.

I agree insofar as this may fall on deaf ears of AI folks, but that the goals are differ is exactly the point of pointing out misalignment. To talk about this may be more useful for coalescing professional societies than for conversing directly with AI advancers.

> This letter is complaining that human understanding has been crucial to advancing of mathematics, and AI companies are not bothering with it.

Ironic or what. Mr Tao may be remembered as Mathematics' Canute.

The point of mathematics is human understanding though.

That's only one of mathematics' many purposes.

Exactly!

What got me interested in memes as a kid is precisely the fact that mathematics is true in a way that is wholy independent of our understanding of it.

Well, most kids are certainly interested in memes, but you got a really unique reason there.

Oh, sorry, I of course mean to write math and autocomplete hit. To late to edit now, so I suppose it'll remain as a happy accident.

> Keep in mind employees at AI companies are publicly stating that they believe they're risking a >10% chance of human extinction.

Are we really going to take what they say in public seriously?

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