Last month, the mathematical community warned that AI solving mathematical problems is a threat to intellectual work. The statement is well-intentioned, but it ignores the fundamental nature and evolution of human existence. It treats our current methods of intellectual toil as sacred ends rather than stepping stones to a more fulfilling future. This is at odds with history. Progress throughout human history has meant graduating from solving mere survival challenges to tackling higher-order problems.
Hunter-gatherers focused on daily survival
If you go back 30,000 years, what was the daily problem you had to solve?
You woke up, left your dwelling, and risked your life hunting wild animals or gathering berries, fruits, and nuts for your family. Meanwhile, your extended family hopefully stood guard to protect your children and dependents from predators.
You had to gamble daily on whether an unfamiliar plant or mushroom was nutritious or lethal. The entire day was consumed by immediate survival risks.
Agricultural advances led to permanent settlements
Around 10,000 years ago, that changed with the domestication of wheat.
Domesticating wheat marked the beginning of the end for the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. We no longer had to chase down dangerous animals or experiment with poisonous plants just to survive. We could reliably reproduce crops, build granaries, and establish settled villages.
That shift had profound impacts. It freed up time to spend with families and raise kids in relative safety. A secure food supply allowed for life to prosper. The population exploded.
Political stability unlocked human creativity
Once we had a roof over our heads and a secure food supply, we asked a bigger question. What if we built more complex societies?
We built governance and institutions. We organized political structures, established laws, and coordinated across larger populations.
Political stability unlocked art. Because people were not hunting all day or defending immediate borders, they could spend months chipping away at a block of marble to produce a magnificent sculpture, or spend years painting intricate murals.
Technological progress mechanized art. Today, computers and machines can render intricate art, carve stone, or reproduce images in a flash. While handcrafted art remains deeply valuable, there is not enough patronage to sustain it as a primary economic engine.
Technological progress unlocked large-scale knowledge work
Knowledge work—coordination, communication, data analysis, academic research, engineering, and more—is far less physically taxing than spending a lifetime chipping stone. It is a better problem to solve.
Just as living in a village was a better problem than dodging wild animals, doing knowledge work has been a better problem than backbreaking physical crafts.
Now we are building systems that can automate significant parts of that knowledge work, including mathematical solutions and scientific reasoning.
If history is any guide, that is not a bad thing.
Automation of knowledge work frees us to tackle higher-order problems
Every time humans solved a foundational problem, we moved to a higher-order problem.
Automating cognitive execution does not destroy intellectual work—or the purpose of human existence for that matter. It frees up collective human brainpower for tackling the next tier of challenges. Instead of grinding through the mechanics of the work, we get to frame the challenges that matter. We get to focus our collective energy on asking the right questions.
There will be better problems to solve. Look around, there are so many already!