The 61st International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) began on September 21, 2020. But, unlike the previous IMOs, this one stands out for two reasons. The first reason is that this year’s IMO was held remotely because of current circumstances. The second reason is more interesting than the previous one: this year’s IMO might be the last one that would only have human contestants. Artificial intelligence systems might also participate in future Math Olympiads.
Indeed, researchers view the IMO as the ideal proving ground for machines designed to think like humans. If an AI system can excel here, it will have matched an important dimension of human cognition.
“The IMO, to me, represents the hardest class of problems that smart people can be taught to solve somewhat reliably,” said Daniel Selsam of Microsoft Research. Selsam is a founder of the IMO Grand Challenge, whose goal is to train an AI system to win a gold medal at the world’s premier math competition.
But why do scientists think that the IMO is the perfect place to test an AI system’s abilities?
Answers over at Nautilus.
(Image Credit: Seanbatty/ Pixabay)
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very interesting stuff. do they stream this to the public?
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