March 19th, 2025
By Connor Martin · 9 min read
Not a lot has changed in how we solve math problems over the centuries. We engage in math education and combine that education with our critical thinking skills to get to the bottom of complex numerical problems. Very little will change about that in the future, at least in terms of how important math will be to people.
What will change – and what we’re already seeing today – is that artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the math realm and will be a transformative force in the future. There are plenty of AI tools already out there claiming to help you understand complex mathematical concepts or, in the case of teachers, help you help students learn about math.
However, the real question is: what are the benefits of AI for math? We’ll examine five of the advantages the merging of mathematics, artificial intelligence, and human-led critical thinking delivers.
• AI enhances math accuracy and learning efficiency: AI-powered tools provide exact solutions, step-by-step explanations, and real-time feedback, reducing anxiety and improving problem-solving skills for students and professionals.
• AI personalizes math education and makes learning more engaging: Through adaptive learning, gamification, and interactive experiences, AI tailors instruction to individual needs, keeping students motivated and improving comprehension.
• AI improves accessibility and mathematical inclusion: AI simplifies complex concepts, supports students with learning difficulties like dyscalculia, and provides instant access to information, making advanced math more approachable for all.
We can break what AI in math looks like down into three key categories:
1. Reactive AI: These tools respond to your specific inputs or the situations you place on them without learning from either. Think of Alexa or Siri. You can ask these types of tools to help with basic problem-solving, such as providing answers for simple sums, but they work on a very clear input/output basis.
2. Predictive AI: It’s here where we start to see AI tackle some more complex math problems. Predictive AI can analyze datasets to identify patterns and insights. There’s often an element of machine learning built into these tools – enabling them to improve as they’re exposed to more data – and they are valuable when you’re working with defined datasets.
3. Generative AI: It’s the generative AI tools that tend to grab the headlines. The likes of ChatGPT can create novel (though not wholly unique) text, images, and videos based on large language models that have been trained using existing structures and data patterns. While not necessarily useful for helping you to solve complex equations, this form of AI can prove useful in mathematics learning.
So, there’s no one way that you will interact with math AI. It’s all situational – what do you need the AI to do and what type of AI are you using? Understanding these categories allows you to get the most out of the math skills AI as a concept brings to the table.
With the categories of AI in math explained, we can move on to the benefits of AI for math. Here are five advantages to consider, each with different applications that can assist with everything from helping math students learn to running a successful, profitable business.
Struggling with math concepts is more common than you may realize and can have a startling impact on people’s mental health. According to the U.K.’s National Numeracy organization, 35% of adults say that doing math makes them feel anxious, with 20% adding that this anxiety is so strong that it makes them feel physically sick.
That anxiety is likely born from math being both a complex subject and one that requires a great deal of accuracy to get right. AI provides that accuracy – as long as you enter the correct equation – to eliminate the anxiety so many people feel when doing math.
Students learn best when they understand the steps they must follow to solve an equation. Math teachers and examiners know this, which is why most tests both encourage students to show their work and give extra marks to those who do, even if their answer is wrong. Ultimately, that’s because math is a test of problem-solving skills as much as it is your understanding of numeracy.
One of the key benefits of AI for math is that combining the different forms of AI allows your tool to explain how it reached an answer. Predictive AI provides the answer itself, while generative AI can provide explanations of the solution drawn from the millions of words of information upon which the language model behind the AI is trained.
Keeping students engaged in their work is a challenge, as Education Week discovered in a January 2024 survey. The organization found that less than half of students engage with their lessons to the point they find them “often” or “always” interesting. Worse yet, 23% of students are totally switched off – they say their lessons are either rarely or never interesting to them.
A little fun might need to be injected into mathematics education, and AI can gamify the learning process. AI can be used to create math games where students solve equations to receive prizes, such as digital medals or in-game currency to spend on items.
Predictive AI can be a key when it comes to crafting personalized learning experiences for students. This form of AI can “predict” a student’s current knowledge level and optimal learning style, allowing it to craft a curriculum in which learning math is designed around the student’s specific needs.
This leads us to another one of the key benefits of AI for math – it creates a one-on-one learning experience that isn’t possible in the classroom. A teacher has to prepare students as a group for their math exams.
Meanwhile, math AI has an audience of one, allowing it to offer real-time feedback, immediate correction, and recognition of weak spots on which the student can focus. Identifying learning gaps is key to this trio. Students who either need an individualized education plan (but haven’t received one) and those who don’t but have gaps in their knowledge all benefit from the introduction of AI into math tutelage.
We can look at the benefits of AI for math on the accessibility front in two ways.
First, AI makes math concepts more accessible. Students (or even employees) don’t need to purchase textbooks or spend hours trawling the internet to find the answers to their questions. AI has essentially done all of that for them via the information fed into it when engineers trained their large language models. Information is instantly accessible via AI – ideal for those working in time-sensitive contexts.
Beyond this base accessibility, AI makes mathematics accessible to those who have conditions that cause them to struggle with numbers. For example, The British Dyslexia Association says that 25% of people have math-related learning difficulties, with 6% having dyscalculia. This condition is the rough equivalent of dyslexia, only for numbers. Having an AI that can do math for you is ideal for people with these learning challenges because AI can provide fast and accurate answers to their questions.
The most important thing to understand about these benefits of AI for math is that they’re not benefits you’ll have to wait for in the future. All of them are tools you can access today. With Julius AI, you get a powerful AI data analyst that can chat with the files you upload, conduct “scan-and-solve” math that applies to physics, chemistry, and many other subjects, and even generate data visualizations based on your uploads.
Two million people are already loving Julius. Find out why – try Julius AI today.
What AI is good at math?
AI models specifically designed for mathematical problem-solving, such as Julius AI, Google’s AlphaGeometry2, and Wolfram Alpha, excel at handling complex equations, theorem proving, and computational tasks. Predictive AI can analyze data patterns, while generative AI provides explanations, making math more accessible to students and professionals alike.
Can artificial intelligence solve math?
Yes, AI can solve a wide range of math problems, from basic arithmetic to advanced algebra, geometry, and calculus. Machine learning models trained in mathematical logic can even verify proofs, optimize calculations, and provide step-by-step solutions for enhanced understanding.
Can AI do calculus?
Absolutely, AI-powered tools can differentiate, integrate, and solve complex calculus problems, often explaining each step in detail. Some AI systems even handle symbolic calculus, making them valuable for students, researchers, and professionals needing advanced mathematical computations.
Why is mathematics set to be revolutionized by AI?
AI is transforming mathematics by automating problem-solving, identifying patterns beyond human capabilities, and making advanced math more accessible through personalized learning tools. As AI continues to evolve, it will accelerate mathematical research, optimize real-world applications, and open new frontiers in theoretical math.
What are the benefits of AI in math?
AI improves mathematical accuracy, provides step-by-step solutions, enhances engagement through gamification, enables personalized learning, and increases accessibility for those with learning difficulties. These advancements make math more intuitive, reducing anxiety and helping students and professionals work smarter.