By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-09-11 10:12:00 | Updated at 2026-09-11 11:56:32
1 hour ago
As AI models prove they can push the boundaries, mathematicians are grappling with the threat that they could become obsolete
Published: 6:00pm, 11 Sep 2026
Deng Yu, the 37-year-old Chinese mathematician who
won the 2026 Fields Medal, has a backup plan if artificial intelligence puts him out of a job.
On Tuesday, he wrote on social media that “if AI can solve all maths problems, I’ll go home and write my yuri novel”.
Deng is known to be a big fan of yuri, a genre of Japanese novels and comics that depicts intimate friendships and romantic relationships between women.
In the post, which was later shared on another Chinese social platform, Deng wrote that AI has created “an atmosphere of restlessness and impatience” in mathematical circles.
“Once this wavefront passes in the next year or two, the situation will gradually become clear. Mathematics will naturally adapt slowly, and a new ecosystem is gradually taking shape.”
Deng told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday that he was “not currently writing a yuri novel. That statement was entirely in jest.”
“I don’t believe AI can develop to the point of solving all mathematical problems, at least not those I mentioned in my post,” he added.
