Declaration on AI and Math

What happens if a mathematical proof is no longer the work of a human, but of a proprietary AI model that academic researchers cannot access? Who is responsible for errors, and who gets credit if it is correct? And how can we tell whether an AI-generated proof is truly new, or simply a clever reformulation of existing work without proper attribution?

These are no longer hypothetical questions, but current dilemmas mathematicians worldwide are grappling with. That is why an international group of researchers have presented the Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics: a call for action to address the challenges posed by the use of AI within mathematics research. From VU Amsterdam, the mathematicians Sander Dahmen and Alain Chavarri Villarello are involved.

The declaration contains recommendations for individual mathematicians, mathematical organizations/funders, policymakers, and commercial AI labs. It is endorsed by the International Mathematical Union (IMU). Ulrike Tillmann, IMU Vice President, explains: "We take the rapid development and impact of Artificial Intelligence on our discipline very seriously: It opens new and exciting opportunities, but it also raises questions that cannot be left unexamined. By endorsing the declaration, the IMU affirms that the future of mathematical research must be guided by human judgment, fair and transparent practices, and the shared values of the global mathematical community. Mathematics is, and should always remain, a profoundly human endeavour."

Within a week after the original announcement of the declaration, it was signed by over two thousand scientists, including many prominent mathematicians such as Fields Medalists Terence Tao, Elon Lindenstrauss, Martin Hairer, Peter Scholze, Hugo Duminil-Copin, James Maynard, and Maryna Viazovska. It has been covered in de Volkskrant/De Morgen (featuring Dahmen), The New York Times, Scientific American, Science, Pour la Science, India Today, and dozens of other national and international news items around the globe.