AI-assisted mathematics: John Urschel used OpenAI models in his research

Former NFL player John Urschel, now an assistant professor at MIT, published a paper titled “On the Growth of Random Matrices” concerning a longstanding mathematical conjecture. As the hosts recounted from a Wall Street Journal profile, Urschel reviewed hundreds of recent AI-assisted proofs and used OpenAI models in his own research; his paper’s acknowledgments credit their help, and he invited questions about AI’s role.

Urschel said computing power has not diminished his passion for mathematics: he still wants to understand “the why” behind mathematical results. The hosts observed that machines’ superiority need not take away the pleasure of solving problems, comparing mathematics with chess, where computers outperform humans but people still enjoy playing.

Urschel left the Baltimore Ravens for academic mathematics in 2017 after three seasons with the team. The hosts also predicted that new mathematical results could foreshadow progress in other fields, particularly those where solutions have commercial applications; this was a participant’s forecast, not an established outcome.