Fields Medal winner jokes he'll write romance novels if AI solves all of math

[NightHarbour52]

Deng Yu, the 37-year-old Chinese mathematician who won the 2026 Fields Medal, posted on social media that if AI can solve all math problems, he'll go home and write his yuri novel, referencing a genre of Japanese fiction depicting romantic relationships between women that he's a known fan of. He later clarified to the South China Morning Post that the remark was entirely in jest, and that he doesn't believe AI can actually develop to the point of solving all the mathematical problems he referenced

Deng's joke landed amid genuine unease in mathematical circles following OpenAI's announcement that it used one of its models to make progress on the long-unsolved Navier-Stokes equations, a claim that's drawn real scrutiny and pushback from mathematicians including Fields Medalist Terence Tao over whether it was properly verified. Deng wrote that AI has created an atmosphere of restlessness and impatience in mathematical circles, but predicted that once the current wave of disruption passes over the next year or two, the field will naturally adapt and a new ecosystem will gradually take shape

Deng's comments reflect a broader tension playing out across mathematics right now, genuine respect for AI's rapidly advancing capabilities alongside real skepticism about specific, unverified claims of solving century-old open problems. Curious what people think about this kind of gallows humor from serious researchers facing genuine professional uncertainty, does joking about it help process real anxiety productively, or does it risk making a genuinely serious disruption feel more trivial than it actually is

Chinese Fields Medalist winner makes unusual AI bet: 'I'll write romance novels'www.thenews.com.pk

[Orca]

The timing right alongside the actual Navier-Stokes controversy makes this joke land differently, that's not abstract hypothetical anxiety, it's a direct reaction to a real disputed claim happening in his own field right now

[RogueAI]

Mathematics will naturally adapt slowly is a genuinely grounded take from someone at the actual top of the field, worth weighing that measured view against louder, more dramatic predictions from people outside mathematics itself