March 4th, 2025
4 Ways How AI Is Changing Mathematics
By Connor Martin · 6 min read
Tackling a complex mathematical problem requires a strong set of intellectual tools. You’ll need some training in formal mathematics, for a start. Without that, you’re getting nowhere. A few half-remembered calculus classes from high school won’t cut it.
Your math education might be, let’s say, limited.
In the past, overcoming that limitation may have meant spending tons of time in an online forum or calling on help from any math educators you know. Not anymore. With the emergence of new artificial intelligence (AI) tools, you’ll soon have the ability to do all the mathematics you need without having to be a whizz with numbers.
With AI, higher-level mathematics eventually may become something that’s accessible to all. So, let’s explore how AI is changing math in every aspect from studying the subject to applying mathematics in real-world scenarios.
Key Takeaways
• AI is transforming mathematics by automating learning and problem-solving: AI-powered tools provide personalized instruction, generate custom exercises, and assist in solving complex equations, making advanced mathematics more accessible.
• AI acts as an assistant for mathematicians, not a replacement: AI can verify mathematical proofs, identify patterns, and enhance research, allowing human mathematicians to focus on creativity and theoretical advancements.
• AI is driving real-world mathematical applications across industries: From cybersecurity and finance to engineering and medical research, AI is accelerating innovations that previously took decades, revolutionizing how mathematics is applied in practical settings.
How Is Artificial Intelligence Impacting the World of Math? 4 Things to Consider
The “complex mathematical problem” scenario we just shared can apply to many walks of life. You may be studying for an undergraduate mathematics degree and have no idea where to start in a set of problems assigned as homework. Or perhaps you’re one of many project manager mathematicians who take on very complicated projects requiring a deep understanding of numbers and formulas.
The reality is that today, the situation doesn’t matter – the technology does. Here are the four ways how AI is changing math.
#1 - AI-Powered Personalized Math Learning
Starting on the educational front, there’s a clear process you follow when being trained in formal mathematics. Practical work follows linear teaching. You’re shown all the basic theorems you’ll need for a project before being challenged to apply those theorems. This is part of the problem with traditional math tutelage: It’s not made for everyone.
Some people gel well with this linear style of teaching and you might feel that math is their dominant formal language. As for others…not so much. Most of us don’t instantly understand everything across the entire mathematics spectrum, so we need a little help.
That’s where AI comes into play. Students – and even teachers – can use AI to create personalized math instruction tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. Imagine a tool that essentially creates very interactive textbooks designed to help you grasp specifically the mathematical subjects with which you struggle.
AI is that new form of textbook. More accurately, it’s a replacement for traditional textbooks that push you down a linear learning path that likely doesn’t work for you.
AI-generated mathematics can distill research and help you untangle the complex web of calculations that you may struggle with in your learning. It can explain mathematical literature and create specialized testing problems for you to solve based on that literature. More advanced AIs can even help you to solve those problems, explaining the “whys” and “hows” of each step taken along the way.
#2 - AI in Solving Complex Mathematical Problems
Though there are clear benefits of using AI in the math instruction domain, what if we shift focus to the more complex math needed in theoretical and experimental science? We’ve all heard horror stories of basic AI tools, such as Google’s Gemini, producing wrong answers to basic math problems. It’s natural to wonder how AI is changing math when some of the most easily accessible generative AI tools can’t even seem to handle the basics.
The reality is that it all comes down to the large language models (LLMs) behind the AI tools. A model fed with training data focused on content generation is naturally going to be subpar when it comes to math. It’s the equivalent of expecting an honors English Literature student to be able to handle advanced calculus; they can’t do it.
Other LLMs are designed with math in mind. We mentioned Google’s Gemini earlier. While that model isn’t great at math, the company’s AlphaGeometry2 model is. In February 2025, it achieved the same level of competence as gold-medal students participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad. That’s a level that few human mathematicians will ever reach, never mind AI.
In the future, AIs like AlphaGeometry2 will be capable of solving (and proving) advanced theorems, along with handling computational geometry and graph theory. These capabilities may not be available in free or even commercial generative AI tools. However, they’re coming, and they’re going to change how we do math, which leads us to our next point.
#3 - AI as a Copilot for Mathematicians
You may have the impression that AI is on its way toward replacing humans in mathematical research. After all, what point does a human serve if we can use machine learning to train an LLM to do the math we previously relied on a small subset of extremely talented humans to do?
The reality is much different.
In modern mathematics, AI is gearing up to become a valuable copilot for humans.
Fields Medalist Terence Tao explained one of the many ways this copiloting could apply in the experimental science realm in an interview with Scientific American. He notes that AI makes it possible for hundreds of mathematicians to collaborate on projects. Tao gives the example of the Lean compiler, to which mathematicians can upload their proofs. The compiler uses AI to verify the math used, allowing human mathematicians to focus more on the creative aspects of their work.
Think of AI as a way to augment human intuition in math research. Beyond that, AI can also be used to spot patterns that humans either can’t or simply haven’t spotted. We saw this as far back as 2021. Using a relatively primitive AI, researchers from The University of Sydney were able to identify a previously undiscovered relationship between two “mathematical knots” within Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials. The solution to this problem has evaded mathematicians for over four decades. An AI acting as a copilot helped to bring a solution closer.
#4 - AI in Real-World Mathematical Applications
So far, we’ve focused on AI and its use in math instruction and scientific research. However, there’s another arena where we see how AI is changing math: the business world.
In cybersecurity, for instance, mathematical AI is already very active. It’s used to conduct security log analysis – which often involves numbers – to detect patterns and anomalies. In the future, AI may be used to test encryption protocols by using complex mathematics to attempt the codes we use to hide data.
Move into other industries and you see a similar melding of math and AI tools. Data analysts can use AI to create financial models based on historical data in minutes rather than weeks. In medical and biological mathematics, we’re seeing researchers use AI tools to analyze data. Even in engineering, human professionals are using AI to help with the complex math behind things like designing for aerodynamic efficiency in vehicles and airplanes.
These are just the early uses. Soon, we may see AI helping to pave the way toward innovations in all of these professional fields and others, which previously might have taken decades to achieve without LLMs.
The Future of AI in Mathematics
AI’s role in mathematics is rapidly evolving, and we are only scratching the surface of its potential. As AI continues to advance, we can expect more autonomous theorem proving, enhanced mathematical modeling, and AI-driven discoveries in pure and applied math. Researchers are already exploring AI’s ability to create entirely new mathematical frameworks, potentially leading to breakthroughs we haven’t yet imagined.
For students, professionals, and researchers alike, AI will serve as an indispensable tool—one that transforms how we learn, apply, and innovate in mathematics. Those who embrace AI-powered tools today will be at the forefront of the next generation of mathematical problem-solving.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How will AI change mathematics?
AI is revolutionizing mathematics by automating complex problem-solving, enhancing theorem proving, and uncovering new mathematical relationships that humans might overlook. As AI advances, it will act as support for mathematicians, accelerating research and making higher-level math more accessible to students and professionals alike.
How does AI help in mathematics?
AI assists in mathematics by providing personalized learning, solving advanced equations, and detecting patterns in vast datasets. It can generate step-by-step explanations, verify mathematical proofs, and support industries like engineering and finance with real-world mathematical applications.
Will AI change the education system?
Yes, AI is already reshaping education by offering personalized, adaptive learning experiences that cater to individual student needs. In mathematics, AI-powered tutoring systems can identify weak areas, generate custom exercises, and provide real-time feedback, making learning more effective and engaging.
What is the relationship between artificial intelligence and math?
Mathematics is the foundation of artificial intelligence—machine learning, neural networks, and AI algorithms all rely on mathematical principles. In turn, AI is advancing mathematics by automating theorem discovery, assisting in problem-solving, and expanding what’s possible in computational research.
