Physical Superintelligence Inc. (PSI) said Friday that it used an unreleased Anthropic AI model to prove the Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture, a fundamental open question in quantum computing concerning the speed advantages of quantum over classical computers.
The physics research lab said the conjecture, essentially an educated guess, had been open since 2008. The system was able to prove it within three days, 'settling one of the most fundamental questions in quantum computing,' PSI said. 'Quantum computing still has plenty of mysteries, but now there is one fewer,' the lab added.
The announcement marks the latest instance of AI assisting with complex mathematics. In September, OpenAI said it had solved a 90-year-old math problem, the Navier-Stokes equations. The developments have prompted discussion among mathematicians about the field's future. Terence Tao, a UCLA mathematics professor, said last month that math's 'romantic era' was over, adding that 'We are entering an era where exciting new things are possible, but some things are being lost.' A poll of MIT graduate students and postdocs found 76% said they were unlikely to stay in academic math after graduating, with the same share saying AI had made them less motivated to research.
David Turturean, a member of PSI's technical staff, developed the system. The proof, PSI said, shows that certain exponential advantages of quantum computing require special patterns or structures, meaning quantum computers have limits, which was long suspected. It remains unclear which unreleased Anthropic model was used. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment.
Researchers who had previously worked on the problem described the proof as a 'huge result' that resolved a decades-old question. Guy Blanc, Jordan Docter, Carmen Strassle, and Li-Yang Tan of Stanford University said of the proof, according to PSI's announcement, that 'Everything is brought together in a rather magical way.'
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The proof resolves a specific limit on quantum computing power, settling a 17-year-old theoretical question.
- It represents another significant milestone in AI's expanding role in mathematical research and scientific discovery.
- The development could influence the direction of quantum computing research by clarifying its theoretical boundaries.
Background
The Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture, raised in 2008, asked about the conditions under which quantum computers could be exponentially faster than classical computers. The proof reportedly shows such advantages require specific structural patterns. Quantum computers remain in early development, but understanding their theoretical limits is crucial for guiding research. PSI is a physics research lab. Anthropic is an AI company. The specific model used in the proof has not been identified.
Key Perspectives
- Physical Superintelligence Inc.: Says its system settled one of the most fundamental questions in quantum computing, showing that quantum computers do have limits.
- Stanford researchers (Guy Blanc, Jordan Docter, Carmen Strassle, Li-Yang Tan): Called the proof a 'huge result' that is 'brought together in a rather magical way.'
- Terence Tao (UCLA professor): Has said mathematics' 'romantic era' is over, entering an era where 'exciting new things are possible, but some things are being lost.'
- MIT mathematics graduate students and postdocs: 76% reported being unlikely to stay in academic math after graduating and said AI had made them less motivated to do research.
What to Watch
- Anthropic's response to the claim, including which model was used and whether it was a unique capability or a general one.
- Peer review and replication of the proof by the broader quantum computing and mathematics community.
- Further impacts on academic mathematics, as indicated by the MIT survey and Tao's comments.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedPSI said it used an unreleased Anthropic model in a system that proved the Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture.All Content from Business Insider: “Physical Superintelligence Inc., or PSI, said Friday it used an unreleased model from Anthropic to prove the Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture. The lab developed a research system that included the Anthropic model.”
- SupportedPSI said its research system proved the conjecture within three days, showing limits on quantum speed advantages.All Content from Business Insider: “The system was able to prove the conjecture within three days”
- SupportedThe conjecture concerns when quantum computers can be significantly faster than classical computers.All Content from Business Insider: “has been open since 2008 and concerns determining when quantum computers can be significantly faster than regular computers.”
- SupportedPSI said the proof was “settling one of the most fundamental questions in quantum computing.”All Content from Business Insider: “The system was able to prove the conjecture within three days, "settling one of the most fundamental questions in quantum computing," PSI said.”
- SupportedPSI said, “Quantum computing still has plenty of mysteries, but now there is one fewer.”All Content from Business Insider: “"Quantum computing still has plenty of mysteries, but now there is one fewer," the lab said.”
- SupportedIn September, OpenAI said it had solved the 90-year-old Navier-Stokes problem.All Content from Business Insider: “In September, OpenAI said it had solved a 90-year-old math problem, the Navier-Stokes equations”
- SupportedTerence Tao said last month that math’s “romantic era” was over and that exciting new things were possible, but some things were being lost.All Content from Business Insider: “Terence Tao, a prominent mathematics professor at UCLA, said last month that math's "romantic era" was over, adding, "We are entering an era where exciting new things are possible, but some things are being lost."”
- SupportedA poll of MIT graduate students and postdocs found 76% were unlikely to stay in academic math after graduating.All Content from Business Insider: “MIT researchers who polled grad students and postdocs found 76% reported they were unlikely to stay in academic math after graduating”
- SupportedThe same share said AI developments had made them less motivated to do research.All Content from Business Insider: “while the same amount said AI developments had made them less motivated to do research.”
- SupportedDavid Turturean, a member of PSI’s technical staff, developed the research system.All Content from Business Insider: “David Turturean, a member of the technical staff at PSI, developed the research system that used the unreleased Anthropic model to prove the Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture.”
- SupportedPSI said the proof shows that certain exponential quantum-computing advantages require special patterns or structures, meaning quantum computers have limits.All Content from Business Insider: “The proof, PSI said, shows that certain exponential advantages of quantum computing require special patterns or structures, meaning quantum computers have limits, which was long suspected”
- SupportedResearchers who had previously worked on the problem described the proof as a “huge result” that resolved a decades-old question.All Content from Business Insider: “Researchers who had previously worked on the problem said the proof was a "huge result" that resolved a decades-old question.”
