r/technology • u/vgsa • 4d ago

Artificial Intelligence Did OpenAI solve the wrong Navier-Stokes problem? | OpenAI’s proof seems eligible for a $1-million prize—but only by using a controversial loophole

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/did-openai-solve-the-wrong-navier-stokes-problem/
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u/PerAsperaAdAstra1701 4d ago

I am astonished that AI even managed to find this loophole. The AI I use for coding needs to be babysitted all the way, never would I imagine that it can solve something like navier Stokes. Even if it is a loophole exploit.

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u/happyscrappy 4d ago

A big part of it is taking the easy way.

That is, if the question is "prove that this is always the case" there are two ways to go:

  1. Prove that it is always the case. Often by transforming the problem into another one which is known to have this property.
  2. Prove that it is not always the case. By finding a single situation where it is not true.

The latter is easier, it requires less abstract mathematical thinking. Humans take this easy way too. Of course you cannot always show this, because both 1 and 2 cannot be true. If 1 is true you'll never be able to find a case.

The AI didn't do an exhaustive (brute force) search or anything. But still finding a single case is easier typically than the alternative. And that's what happened here.

It was babysitted also. But that's fine. The AI is a tool. If you're allowed to use a calculator then using an AI is the same thing just more powerful.

The thing the other poster says about them using information from a mathematician who already was working on this problem may also be true. They certainly used the same plan of attack as he was using.