What Today’s Best Models Still Can’t Do in Math

a16z’s Lisha Li sits down with Daniel Litt, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Toronto, to unpack AI's rapid progress in mathematics, what today's frontier models can actually do, and what they're still missing about the way mathematicians think. Daniel explains why some recent AI-generated results are genuinely impressive, including an autonomous solution to the Erdős unit distance problem, but argues that solving problems is only one part of mathematics. Today's models can grind through calculations, combine known techniques, and search enormous spaces, but still struggle with intuition, theory building, identifying the right questions, and developing the kind of big-picture understanding that drives much of mathematical progress. Lisha and Daniel also explore how AI is already changing mathematical research, why an explosion of AI-generated papers could distort academic incentives, and what happens if researchers outsource the work of thinking rather than use AI to deepen it. Ultimately, they ask a question that extends far beyond mathematics: as AI gets better at intellectual work, how do we make sure humans keep getting better at thinking too? Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Meet Daniel Litt: A Practicing Mathematician's Evolving Views on AI 02:24 - The Most Impressive Result: The Erdős Unit Distance Problem 06:12 - What AI Is Actually Doing for Working Mathematicians Today 12:12 - Intuition, Taste & Why Math Isn't Just About Proofs 20:26 - Deep Thinking vs Pattern Matching: What Models Are Missing 26:17 - Why the Unit Distance Result Was Actually Creative 33:33 - How Should the Math Community Adapt to AI? 43:26 - Where AI Will Impact Applied Math First 46:24 - Taking Advantage of AI Without Losing the Craft 49:21 - Comparing Anthropic vs OpenAI in Math 51:34 - Why Some Labs Have Gone More Secretive 59:40 - Raising a Mathematician: Teaching Math to a Toddler Resources: Follow Daniel Litt on X: https://x.com/littmath Follow Lisha Li on X: https://x.com/lishali88 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: Twitter: a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: LinkedIn: a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RD... Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.