菲尔兹奖得主高尔斯解释未署名AI担忧联署信的原因

菲尔兹奖得主蒂莫西·高尔斯(Timothy Gowers)近日公开说明了为何未在25位菲尔兹奖章获得者的联署信上签名。1该信表达了对人工智能大规模生成数学结果的担忧，认为这种做法可能摧毁数学发展的肥沃土壤而非推动新思想的产生。1联署信指出，"以越来越快的速度大量生成'真/假'陈述可能会破坏创新的基础，而不是为新想法注入生命"。1

高尔斯主张数学界应采取更开放的态度对待这一变化。1他指出，数学社区存在不同的学派，有些数学家的主要动力是解决问题，而另一些则更关注获得概念理解，这种多元化方向本身是积极的。1高尔斯对数学共同体应对AI冲击的适应能力持相对乐观的态度，尽管他确实担忧年轻人可能因此不再选择攻读数学博士学位。1

高尔斯目前在剑桥大学领导一个自动定理证明小组。1他透露自己曾与OpenAI有过接触，但从未获得任何报酬。1

Timothy Gowers, a Fields Medal laureate, has clarified his reasons for declining to sign a joint letter issued by 25 Fields Medal recipients expressing concerns about artificial intelligence in mathematics 1. The letter warned that "the mass production at faster and faster pace of 'true/false' statements could destroy fertile ground instead of breathing life into new ideas," drawing attention to potential risks posed by AI-generated mathematical results 1.

Gowers contends that the issue warrants a more nuanced perspective 1. He argues that the mathematical community encompasses diverse schools of thought, with some mathematicians primarily motivated by problem-solving while others prioritize conceptual understanding 1. Rather than viewing these orientations as conflicting, Gowers maintains that fostering multiple approaches within mathematics represents a positive direction for the field 1. He expressed relative optimism about the mathematical community's capacity to adapt in the face of AI's growing influence 1.

Leading an automated theorem-proving group at the University of Cambridge, Gowers has engaged with OpenAI but has never received compensation from the organization 1. While acknowledging certain risks—such as the potential decline in young researchers pursuing doctoral studies in mathematics—Gowers advocates for a balanced assessment of artificial intelligence's implications for the discipline 1.