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AnotherGoodName • yesterday at 10:13 PM • 0 replies • view on HN

The best example was the following 2023 quote which has been repeatedly and wrongfully used as a criticism of Tao right up until he was proven exactly correct

>I expect, say, 2026-level AI, when used properly, will be a trustworthy co-author in mathematical research, and in many other fields as well. Then what? That depends not just on the technology, but on how existing human institutions and practices adapt. How will research journals change their publishing and referencing practices when entry-level math papers for AI-guided graduate students can now be generated in less than a day—and with the far better accuracy of future AI tools? How will our approach to graduate education change? Will we actively encourage and train our students to use these tools? We are largely unprepared to address these questions. There will be shocking demonstrations of AI-assisted achievement and courageous experiments to incorporate them into our professional structures. But there will also be embarrassing mistakes, controversies, painful disruptions, heated debates, and hasty decisions. Our usual technology paradigms will not serve as an adequate guide for navigating these uncharted waters. Perhaps the greatest challenge will be transitioning to a new AI-assisted world as safely, wisely, and equitably as possible. https://unlocked.microsoft.com/ai-anthology/terence-tao/

The ever prescient Tao, over 3 years ago in 2023. You can search that quote and find lots of examples of "Lol he's so wrong" right up until very recently. Which is exactly the 2026 timeline Tao stated.

And his viewpoint really hasn't changed or needed to change. He was 100% correct.