# AI Sucks Joy from Math

> AI solves math problems, leaving mathematicians to wonder if their work has lost meaning.
- Title: AI Sucks Joy from Math · Straight Arrow | Shortify
- Summary: AI solves math problems, leaving mathematicians to wonder if their work has lost meaning. AI's rapid math problem-solving threatens mathematicians' careers…
- Keywords: openai, mathematics, barnette conjecture, navier-stokes, nerd-sniping, phd, research, news, politics, world, Sucks, Joy
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/did-ai-just-suck-the-last-bit-of-joy-from-mathematics
- Published: 2026-10-12T21:01:39+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ai, openai, mathematics, barnette conjecture, navier-stokes, nerd-sniping, phd, research, news, politics, world
## AI solves math problems
OpenAI solved part of the Navier-Stokes problem and posted 722 proofs of open questions last week.
## Jake Boggan's 24-year obsession
Math sleuth Jake Boggan spent 24 years working on Barnette's Conjecture before AI solved it.
## Boggan's emotional response
Boggan said hearing the problem was solved made him sad like hearing an ex-girlfriend died suddenly.
## Boggan's perspective on math
Boggan believes math is forged through human exploration and interaction, not ai shortcuts.
## AI as a shortcut
Boggan compared ai to offering settlers a five-hour flight to california instead of exploring the frontier.
## Impact on junior mathematicians
Junior mathematicians now face fewer opportunities to explore problems that take years to solve.
## Programmers' lost joy
Programmers lost the mental flow states that came from solving difficult problems.
## Nerd-sniping distraction
Researchers face distraction from verifying ai solutions to hundreds of dense papers.
## NYU professor's warning
NYU professor Tristan Buckmaster said ai destroyed early-career mathematicians' careers.
## OpenAI's potential influence
Buckmaster claimed his use of openai's codex tool influenced their navier-stokes paper.
## OpenAI denies influence
OpenAI denied buckmaster's research could have affected their navier-stokes paper results.
## Key takeaway

AI's rapid math problem-solving threatens mathematicians' careers and the joy of discovery.