The Download: OpenAI’s turning point for math and a battery record

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. What OpenAI’s latest controversy tells us about the future of math OpenAI says its agents have solved one of the most important open problems in mathematics. Und…

Résumé

AI solves century-old math

OpenAI recently announced that it has solved one of mathematics’ most important unsolved problems, the Navier-Stokes equations, which describe fluid motion.

This feat was achieved using 10,000 AI agents working together for 88 hours.

The equations, first formulated in the 1930s, are one of the seven Millennium Prize Problems, each carrying a $1 million reward for a correct solution.

While OpenAI claims this is the first major math problem solved by AI, the announcement has sparked controversy.

Critics argue that the company failed to properly credit researchers whose earlier AI-assisted work contributed to the solution.

This breakthrough highlights the growing role of AI in advancing mathematical research, raising questions about the future of human mathematicians in a field increasingly dominated by machines.

The achievement also underscores the significant computational resources required, which are often only available to a few frontier AI companies.