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High School Science Fair Talk - Mathematics in the Age of AI

October 21, 2026

At noon on October 20, Dr. Wenbo Li from Tsinghua University’s Yau Mathematical Sciences Center was invited to the “Pursue·Excel” series of the SHSID Science Fair. In the ZXB reading room, he gave a forward-looking talk to teachers and students entitled “Mathematics in the Age of AI: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Perspectives.”



In an accessible way, he outlined the rapid improvement of AI’s mathematical capabilities: from how to evaluate AI’s mathematical level, to the sensation caused by AI producing research papers at scale, and to how to check proofs generated by AI. The values of the mathematical community are changing accordingly, and discussions and controversies surrounding AI mathematics have never stopped.


He then used concrete examples to analyze AI’s role in mathematical research: searching the literature, testing conjectures, finding counterexamples, writing proofs, and connecting different theories—AI is becoming a capable assistant to researchers. However, AI’s performance varies significantly across different branches of mathematics; disciplines are becoming increasingly specialized; and related claims about major open problems require careful scrutiny. Finally, he shared his personal experience and insights on using AI in his own research.




The students responded enthusiastically. Some said the talk helped them realize that AI is both a powerful research tool and a source of new challenges in verification and understanding. The Q&A session was lively, with students engaging in in-depth discussion with the speaker on the reliability of AI proofs and future directions for learning.


A single forum may not exhaust all the possibilities of AI and mathematics, but it gave students a clear view: tools are changing and research is changing, yet the mathematical spirit of rigorous verification and independent thinking remains unchanged. SHSID will continue to build diverse and open academic exchange platforms, bringing more frontier scholars and ideas to campus, helping students broaden their horizons and strengthen their interests through dialogue with real scientific research, and grow into outstanding talents with innovative spirit and a global perspective.


(Written and Pictures by High School STEAMS Advisors Office   Reviewed by Hui Liao, Qian Zuo)