OpenAI has withdrawn its sponsorship of a math hackathon at the California Institute of Technology. The decision followed an open letter from mathematicians who criticized the event for potentially damaging the mathematical community and serving as a marketing tool for AI companies.
The controversy intensified after OpenAI claimed its AI agents solved the 90-year-old Navier-Stokes equations. New York University mathematician Tristan Buckmaster suggested that OpenAI may have utilized his own research data, which he had previously discussed with AI chatbots, to reach this solution.
The hackathon, organized primarily by undergraduate students, provides participants with 40 hours and $20 000 in AI token credits to address unsolved mathematical problems. Successful teams advance to a second round, receiving six months of additional time and further token credits.
Anthropic and OpenAI had previously agreed to support the event by donating $2 million in AI usage credits. Following the withdrawal, the status of OpenAI's contribution remains unclear. Organizers stated that the event aims to encourage students to use modern tools responsibly.
