In the previous post on mechanizing mathematics and on its relation with beauty and generative AI, I have extensively discussed my views on how societal and technological changes are shaping mathematics and what I hope we will do to respond and evolve with it.

A few days ago, a group of mathematicians (partly involved also in the material presented in the previous posts) published the Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics. The announcement was picked up by many news outlet, from the Dutch Trouw to italian Le Scienze all the way overseas to the New York Times, which I’d say is incredible for a mathematical-related news.

The name itself comes from the Dutch city giving space to the workshop where the idea took shape. If you have some time, the public lectures held in the closing symposium are very interesting and engaging.

I am truly amazed at the job they did. I think it strikes a very good balance between wildly different opinions and concretizes shared values and a reasonable course of action for individuals, organizations and policy makers. I was very happy to sign it, and even if you don’t intend to, I strongly recommend you find some time to at least read it. To me, if you strip out the mathematics, it reads like a balanced manifesto for any science.

So, why are you still here? Run to the Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics.

Let me use he announcement from Leiden University to brag a little bit… Since I was there at the symposium and unknowingly ended up in the promotional photo that circulated among newspapers.

See the photo below, edited with a pink circle around me on the left :)