AI for the working mathematician

I have not been well for a while; my brain has turned to gamgee, and I find it difficult to concentrate on hard mathematics. So let me try to get things working by an easier warm-up exercise. There has been a lot of change recently in the mathematical capabilities of AI systems. I understand that it was not so long ago when they didn’t know what 2+2 was, and had to look it up. Now eminent mathematicians and computer scientists such as Don Knuth and Tim Gowers are professing themselves impressed by the capabilities of these systems. Can they be useful to the working mathematician? I can see three possible ways this could happen, all with significant risks. At present, AI systems are like gifted but extremely careless students; their outputs have to be checked very carefully! Proof checking This idea is from Kevin Buzzard, and I was reminded of it in his beautiful talk to the London Mathematical Society earlier this month (wHich has now appeared on the YouTube channel; do take a look!).…