As artificial intelligence (AI) models continue to develop, Google announces that two two AI systems from Google DeepMind together solved four of the six problems in this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad. According to Google the AI systems competed with two silver medalists high school students, eventually beating them.
During the competition AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry2 were able to solve a range of math problems step-by-step. This is expected to be a “grand challenge” in machine learning and has been beyond the reach of other state-of-the-art AI systems.
The ‘DeepMind’ behind AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry2
Google explained that AlphaProof teaches itself by ‘trial-and-error’ method without human intervention. This method is known as reinforcement learning. The method is powered by DeepMind’s Go-mastering AlphaGo, Starcraft-crushing AlphaStar and other AI systems developed by Google.
According to sources, the team first fine-tuned Google’s Gemini model to translate 1 million mathematics problem statements from English into a programming language called Lean. The difficult problems were then given to AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry2 so that they could generate potential solutions. Lastly, they were then checked against possible proof steps, initially made by experts.
According to Google, the system solved about 83% of math Olympiad problems from the past 25 years compared to its predecessor that could only solve 53%. Moreover, both the AI systems AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2 scored 28 out of 42 possible points.
“These are extremely hard mathematical problems and no AI system has ever achieved a high success rate in these types of problems,” Pushmeet Kohli, vice president of research focused on AI for science, DeepMind, highlighted in a press briefing.
AI solving math: Boon or Bane
The success of AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry 2 in winning a silver medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad might mark a significant milestone in the development of AI. By automating repetitive and laborious tasks, artificial intelligence can help mathematicians focus on more theoretical and creative aspects of their work, thereby resulting in discoveries.
However, it looks like this can also raise questions about the future of human intelligence. The growing concern in the global economy today is that AI might completely take over human jobs. Early reports suggest that to enhance productivity, enterprises are adopting AI-based technologies. Such initiatives are now replacing human jobs and making us more dependent on machineIt is expected that AI converting into perfectionists for ‘logical reasoning’ can add to these concerns.
Another concern can be that the advancements of AI systems might result in increased ‘cost structures’ of companies. AI models mostly come at high cost structures. This might lead companies to initiate ‘cost-cutting’ through reducing employee count.
Industry reacts
“AlphaProof and AlphaGeometry2 highlights AI’s growing capability to tackle complex mathematical problems. By successfully solving Olympiad-level problems, these systems demonstrate a remarkable combination of creativity and precise logical reasoning. This accomplishment underscores AI’s potential to enhance human abilities across various scientific and engineering fields,” Devroop Dhar, co-founder and managing director, Primus Partners, explained.
“These models serve as a reminder of AI’s enormous potential in advancing mathematics research and problem-solving skills. However, the idea that AI could surpass human mathematicians raises questions about the future of mathematics and how technology will affect our ability to comprehend complex problems,” Heather Dawe, chief data scientist and head of Responsible AI, UK UST, said.
Furthermore, “We need to understand that Mathematicians provide not just answers but also vital questions and abstract thinking that AI cannot yet achieve. While machines are proficient in executing calculations and solving practical problems, the creation of new mathematical theories and understanding of the deeper aspects of mathematics still rely on human ingenuity and creativity,” Ganesh Gopalan, co-founder and CEO, Gnani.ai., concluded.
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