OpenAI said its artificial-intelligence systems have made breakthroughs across mathematics, computer science and physics, including a proof of the long-standing local smoothing conjecture in harmonic analysis, a refutation of the Exponential Time Hypothesis in complexity theory, and what it described as a mathematically rigorous result in quantum chromodynamics. Outside experts urged caution as they review the claims. University of Rochester mathematician Alex Iosevich called the reported resolution of the conjecture a “historic development,” while MIT computer scientist Ryan Williams said a confirmed disproof of ETH would upend assumptions underlying decades of theoretical work. OpenAI said it consulted external researchers and adopted different release strategies across disciplines, with math and computer science data shared immediately and physics results delayed for interpretation. The announcement adds to a drumbeat of AI-linked scientific claims, following Anthropic’s report of a CRISPR-like enzyme discovery that drew mixed reactions from researchers.
Related article:
— Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold
