I see two separate arguments in favor of this logic:
1. Academic mathematics has traditionally been meritocratic, and this is a good thing. If you work hard and demonstrate results, then you will be given further opportunities to do math research and the resources to do it. We are concerned that AI will reward money and access to frontier models instead.
2. There is a general concern that AI could lead to massive accumulations of wealth (see concerns of massive job displacement). AI companies claim that they want to raise standards of living and benefit humanity, which means that they will need to share their resources and wealth in some way. If they effectively destroy the mathematical community be racing ahead and taking all the major results for themselves, that does not bode well for the rest of us. It seems like a great opportunity to show the world how AI will benefit humanity rather than replace it.
1. Academic mathematics has traditionally been meritocratic, and this is a good thing. If you work hard and demonstrate results, then you will be given further opportunities to do math research and the resources to do it. We are concerned that AI will reward money and access to frontier models instead.
2. There is a general concern that AI could lead to massive accumulations of wealth (see concerns of massive job displacement). AI companies claim that they want to raise standards of living and benefit humanity, which means that they will need to share their resources and wealth in some way. If they effectively destroy the mathematical community be racing ahead and taking all the major results for themselves, that does not bode well for the rest of us. It seems like a great opportunity to show the world how AI will benefit humanity rather than replace it.