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GPT-5.6 used a prompt to close a 30-year gap in convex optimization (old.reddit.com)

600 points by mbustamanter · 40 days ago · 391 comments on HN

Article summary

A result in convex optimization was achieved using GPT-5.6, reportedly closing a 30-year gap in the field. The achievement was made possible by applying existing techniques, rather than introducing new ones. The details of the article are not available, but the discussion suggests that the result has implications for the role of AI in mathematics and research.

Main themes

  • AI in research
  • Mathematics and optimization
  • Human-AI collaboration
  • Future of work
  • AI ethics and societal implications
  • Collective decision-making and social change

What commenters say

  • LLMs can solve problems that are attainable with existing techniques, but may not be able to come up with novel ideas or contradict their training data.
  • The use of LLMs in research may make it less necessary for humans to work on low- or medium-hanging fruit, but will not replace the need for human intuition and creativity in tackling more complex problems.
  • Some argue that LLMs will never be able to truly experience reality or have subjective experiences like humans do, while others believe that this is an unresolved question.
  • The increasing capabilities of AI may lead to a reevaluation of the relationship between work and survival, with some arguing that it is necessary to decouple the two in order to create a more equitable society.
  • Others are skeptical of the idea that AI will lead to a utopian future, and instead see it as a potential threat to human livelihoods and autonomy.
  • There is a need to study how to use AI effectively, and to develop new skills and techniques that can complement its capabilities.
  • The use of AI in research may lead to a stratification of input, where those with more background knowledge and expertise are able to get more out of the technology.
  • Some believe that the rules and systems that govern human society are made up and can be changed, and that it is possible to create a better world through collective decision-making and action.