【AI前沿】OpenAI claims it solved an 80-year-old math problem — for real this time

OpenAIclaimsits new reasoning model has produced an original mathematical proof disproving a famous unsolved conjecture in geometry, which was first posed by Paul Erdős in 1946.If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because this isn’t the first time OpenAI has made such a bold claim.Seven months ago, the AI giant’sformer VP Kevin Weilposted on X: “GPT-5 found solutions to 10 (!) previously unsolved Erdős problems and made progress on 11 others.”It turns out, GPT-5 didn’t actually solve those problems; it just found solutions that already existed in the literature.Taunts from rivals like Yann LeCun and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis followed, and Weil promptly took down his premature post. Today, at least, it seems OpenAI didn’t make the same mistake twice. Alongside the announcement, the company publishedcompanion remarksin support of the disproof from mathematicians like Noga Alon, Melanie Wood, and Thomas Bloom, who maintainsthe Erdos Problems website, and previously called Weil’s post“a dramatic misrepresentation.”“For nearly 80 years, mathematicians believed the best possible solutions looked roughly like square grids,”OpenAI posted on X. “An OpenAI model has now disproved that belief, discovering an entirely new family of constructions that performs better.”The company said this marks “the first time AI has autonomously solved a prominent open problem central to a field of mathematics.” The proof, per OpenAI, came from a new general-purpose reasoning model, not a system specifically designed to solve math problems or even this problem in particular.OpenAI says this is significant because it means AI systems are now more capable of holding together long, difficult chains of reasoning and connecting ideas across fields in ways researchers may not have previously explored. That has implications for biology, physics, engineering, and medicine.“AI is helping us to more fully explore the cathedral of mathematics we have built over the centuries,” Bloom said in a statement. “What other unseen wonders are waiting in the wings?”TopicsAI,ChatGPT,erdos problems,OpenAI,reasoning modelsWhen you purchase through links in our articles,we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.Rebecca BellanSenior ReporterRebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy, and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and other publications.You can contact or verify outreach from Rebecca by [email protected] via encrypted message at rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.View BioMay 27Athens, GreeceStrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone.REGISTER NOWMost PopularGoogle Search as you know it is overSarah PerezAnthropic has acquired the dev tools startup used by OpenAI, Google, and CloudflareKirsten KorosecElon Musk has lost his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAITim FernholzUsers turn to jailbreaking their older Kindles as Amazon ends supportLauren ForristalOpenAI launches ChatGPT for personal finance, will let you connect bank accountsIvan MehtaUS orders travelers on Air Force One to throw away gifts, pins, and burner phones after China tripLorenzo Franceschi-BicchieraiHow to turn off Instagram’s new Instants feature and retract photos you accidentally sharedAisha Malik