Mathematicians issued a stark warning about AI's rapid encroachment into their field, fearing it could undermine the discipline's core values. The Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics, signed by 16 experts, highlights concerns that unchecked automation risks eroding creativity, collaboration, and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. The document warns that AI-generated papers could overwhelm peer-review systems with low-quality work, complicate credit attribution, and disadvantage researchers who reject AI tools. It also raises ethical issues about mathematicians' work being used to train AI for military or surveillance purposes. The declaration, endorsed by the International Mathematical Union, calls for ethical guidelines to preserve the human essence of mathematics amid AI's exponential growth.

AI's progress in solving complex problems—like the 80-year-old conjecture addressed by OpenAI's latest model—has accelerated debates. While AI excels at mechanized tasks, the declaration argues that math's soul lies in human intuition and interdisciplinary dialogue. Co-author Michael Harris of Columbia University criticized the tech industry's commercial logic as incompatible with mathematical values. The declaration, now open for global signatures, will be debated at Philadelphia's upcoming International Congress of Mathematicians, coinciding with rising government interest in AI, such as President Donald Trump's executive order granting federal agencies early access to advanced models for security planning.

The authors stress that math is not merely a tool for generating answers but a collaborative, creative endeavor. They urge the AI community to adopt principles that prioritize transparency and ethical use, ensuring technology enhances rather than replaces human insight. As AI systems grow more capable, the declaration serves as a rallying cry to protect the discipline's integrity against commodification and misuse. This tension between innovation and preservation underscores a broader societal challenge: balancing technological advancement with the safeguarding of intellectual heritage.