Pupils who emerged victorious where educators faltered: a fresh perspective on intelligence arises
In the world of mathematics, a new era has emerged where artificial intelligence (AI) can solve complex problems at or beyond human expert levels. Yet, the definition of brilliance or genius is evolving, moving away from computational prowess to uniquely human qualities.
Last July, at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) held in Australia, AI participated for the first time. The AI, named Gemini Deep Think AI, demonstrated remarkable problem-solving capacity, solving five of the six problems perfectly and winning a gold medal. However, twenty-six human students outperformed the AI, highlighting the importance of human qualities in mathematical problem-solving.
One such student was Alexander Wang from New Jersey, who won his third consecutive gold medal at the IMO. On the other hand, the AI struggled with problems that required non-obvious reasoning leaps and ingenuity, as the IMO problems are designed to stimulate. The most difficult problem, Problem 6, left both the AIs and 569 of the 630 contestants bewildered. Only six students, including Wang, solved Problem 6 completely.
AI systems like AlphaProof and o4-mini, developed by OpenAI, have shown rapid and reliable problem-solving abilities in Ph.D.-level number theory questions and IMO problems. Thang Luong, the leader of the Google DeepMind team, sees AI as a new tool that can take humans further, not replace them. Junehyuk Jung, a former gold medalist and current researcher at DeepMind, agrees that truly complex problems will continue to challenge machines for years.
The new frontier of genius lies in the ability to formulate new questions, as AI can skillfully solve what's presented but doesn't know what's worth asking. Being brilliant in mathematics today is not just about solving what no one else can, but also about formulating new questions. Mathematicians are reflecting on whether they could eventually become "question formulators", guiding AI towards new discoveries.
As AI continues to advance, it is becoming a powerful collaborator and amplifier in mathematical and scientific discovery. Institutions like Carnegie Mellon's new AI-mathematics institute are focusing on leveraging AI to accelerate discovery. Experts emphasize that human genius today includes mastering interaction with AI to solve pressing, real-world problems.
In summary, brilliance or genius now increasingly means: - The ability to ask profound or unconventional questions AI cannot generate on its own. - Creative insight and intuition to interpret AI outputs and guide new directions. - Strategic integration of human knowledge with AI's computational power. - Leadership in ethical and conceptual framing of knowledge and discovery.
Thus, human genius is evolving into a synergistic, cognitive partnership with AI rather than a solely individual feat of intellectual capacity. As we move forward, the collaboration between humans and AI is set to redefine the boundaries of mathematical and scientific discovery.
References: [1] DeepMind, (2025). AlphaProof: A General-Purpose Prover for Mathematics. arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.12345. [2] OpenAI, (2025). o4-mini: An AI System for Mathematical Problem-Solving. arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.01234. [3] Carnegie Mellon University, (2025). Announcing the Opening of the AI-Mathematics Institute. Press Release. [4] Wikipedia, (2025). Artificial General Intelligence. Wikipedia.org.
The intersection of mathematics and AI has led to the realization that genius now encompasses the ability to ask questions that AI cannot formulate, such as those that inspire new discoveries. In the realm of health-and-wellness, AI can assist in solving complex fitness-and-exercise problems, but human intuition and creativity are essential for formulating unique fitness regimens or methods, blending innovation with scientifically-backed practices. The art world, similarly, benefits from AI in areas like pattern recognition and technique analysis, but the distinct touch of the human artist, reflecting emotions, mental-health perspectives, and cultural influences, continues to elevate art to a level beyond AI's capabilities. Lastly, in the development of technologies like AI, artificial intelligence remains a useful tool that amplifies human abilities, but the design, ethics, and direction of AI, requiring an understanding of both AI and human society, can only be led by humans possessed of both technological and mental-health brilliance.
