AI-assisted science
I don’t pretend to understand these discoveries in math, computer science, and physics announced by OpenAI. I spent an hour last night reading about them. Even if I can’t wrap my brain around them, the trajectory of progress is clear.
It’s also notable how OpenAI is reviewing and publishing this work:
In our view, these manuscripts are best understood as a form of raw research data. To convert this raw research data into scientific understanding, in this release we are experimenting with a new approach. We reached out to external experts and asked them to act as shepherds, organizing groups to understand the new results.
We’re at a profound moment for science, and hopefully medicine too, where new things will be possible. And we still need humans! Just like in software engineering, mathematicians and scientists will become curators who ask the right questions, guide research, and help make sense of the results. Without their expertise, the rest of us would be blind to what matters.
Many professions will need to be rethought. For some, it will be outsourcing the busywork and even some of the creative tasks. For others, like artists and writers, it will be doubling down on the human aspect of creation. When AI-generated content is abundant, the real feels comparatively scarce and thus more valuable.
I know some people are discouraged. There’s a lot of uncertainty, the economy might be upended, and there’s risk of further concentration of power and wealth. But I think these discoveries are exciting too. I see so much hope, in a world that may be significantly better for our kids than it was for us.