Terence Tao at the Fields Medal ceremony: Mathematics is facing a new crisis for the first time in a century

Terence Tao warned at the ICM that AI may soon handle a large share of research-level math work.

He said this could turn mathematics from proof scarcity into proof overproduction, creating bottlenecks in verification, explanation, and peer review.

Tao argued the field will need new norms for disclosure, human accountability, and clearer communication.

He suggested math should value not only first solutions, but also understanding, community acceptance, and canonization.