The Simons Foundation announced a new set of initiatives designed to help the mathematics community adapt to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in the field. Under a partnership, the Simons Foundation, Anthropic, and OpenAI will commit $15 million in combined funding and resources to support the effort.
According to the foundation, the funding will be awarded through an open call for proposals to support workshops and initiatives that help researchers evaluate recent AI-assisted results, learn and use new tools, share perspectives, and shape collective standards for AI use. The foundation will manage and award the funding.
Anthropicand OpenAI will also provide AI tools and computing resources to researchers supported by the Simons Foundation, with support extending beyond mathematics to include basic science more broadly.
“As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the research landscape, we want to help the mathematical community come together and forge the best path forward,” says Simons Foundation President David Spergel. “Now is the time to look at mathematics as a whole — not as a collection of proofs and theorems, but as a collective understanding driven by human curiosity.”
The Simons Foundation has a history of supporting mathematics and AI-related research. The foundation was an early backer of machine learning for science, including funding the development of the Lean proof assistant, which has revolutionized how mathematicians work and made AI-assisted proofs possible. The foundation has also convened workshops, lectures, and collaborations that have brought mathematicians together to explore and discuss AI’s role in the field.
According to Spergel, the goal is for the mathematics community to lead discussions about how AI tools are evaluated, adopted, and used. “The community should be driving discussions of how these tools are evaluated, adopted and used, not any single company or institution. The goal of the program is to support the mathematics community,” he stated.
Key facts
- The Simons Foundation, Anthropic, and OpenAI are committing $15 million in combined funding and resources
- Funding will support workshops and initiatives to help researchers evaluate AI-assisted results and establish standards for AI use
- The foundation previously funded the Lean proof assistant, which has enabled AI-assisted proofs in mathematics
- AI tools and computing resources will be provided to researchers, extending beyond mathematics to basic science