Twenty-five Fields Medalists have signed a declaration titled “A Severe Misalignment of AI in Mathematics,” published on September 11, 2026. The mathematicians are not arguing that AI is incapable of solving difficult problems, but rather that the technology is being optimized for the wrong goals.

The declaration argues that solving a mathematical problem is a tool rather than the ultimate purpose of mathematics. Progress depends on conceptual understanding, insight, discussion, attribution and the ability to pass knowledge on. Rapidly producing answers for AI benchmarks could conflict with those goals, particularly when results are difficult to understand or verify.

Terence Tao, one of the signatories, has highlighted concerns about the growing use of AI to produce results without the traditional process of exploration and understanding. The declaration represents a debate about how AI should be used, rather than a claim that it cannot contribute positively.