x.com/sporadica/status/2098488296821375185

Terence Tao and the other signatories did not say they were upset simply because AI is solving math problems. In the statement shown in the screenshot, they explicitly acknowledge the recent gains: “the mathematical capabilities of LLMs have improved dramatically” and say the problem is that “the push by AI companies to solve mathematical problems as a benchmark is detrimental to the science of mathematics” and that the companies’ goals are “severely misaligned” with those of the mathematical community.

The same statement also says “AI offers the potential of enhancing and accelerating genuine mathematical study and understanding.” That directly contradicts the claim that they are just unhappy that AI is solving math problems.

Tao’s broader public record points the same way. In January 2026 he launched a project that he described as “an appropriate application of modern AI and formalization tools” and said it would use “modern AI-powered autoformalization tools.” In March 2026, in an OpenAI Forum writeup of his remarks, Tao was described as saying current models are “ready for primetime” and that AI now “saves more time than it wastes.”

So the evidence supports a narrower, different claim: Tao and other mathematicians are warning about how AI companies are using math-problem solving as a benchmark and the incentives that creates — not objecting to AI assistance in mathematics per se.