OpenAI Says Its AI Agents Solved a Major Math Problem — the Controversy Is the Story
A disputed claim about AI cracking one of mathematics' biggest open problems, paired with a new battery record, points to the two forces that will shape AI's next phase: raw capability and energy.
On 9 September 2026, MIT Technology Review's daily newsletter The Download reported that OpenAI says its AI agents have solved one of the most important open problems in mathematics — and that the claim has already attracted controversy. The same edition carries a second story about a new battery record. Put together, the two items frame the real question for anyone building with AI: capability claims are now arriving faster than anyone can verify them, and the physical constraint on AI growth is energy.
AI Summary
On 9 September 2026, MIT Technology Review's daily newsletter The Download reported that OpenAI says its AI agents have solved one of the most important open problems in mathematics — and that the claim has already attracted controversy. The same edition carries a second story about a new battery record. Put together, the two items frame the real question for anyone building with AI: capability claims are now arriving faster than anyone can verify them, and the physical constraint on AI growth is energy.
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