The author argues that AI threatens the soul of mathematics, not just its utility. For many, math was never a tool but a craft—an art form pursued for joy, mastery, and intellectual immortality. Just as a leatherworker devastated by mass-produced bags would feel their life’s purpose erased, mathematicians fear losing the very act of discovery.
The author mourns the shift from creator to manager or salesman, roles they never wanted. They reject the narrative that programming or math was always about leadership. To them, the beauty lay in solving problems and building things, not overseeing others.
The rise of AI doesn’t free them to do more—it strips away the passion they cherished, replacing it with a hollow existence.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing