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0 pointsfamouswaffles2d ago0 comments

https://epochai.substack.com/p/first-ai-solution-on-frontier...

>The newly-solved problem came from Will Brian, who had placed it in the Moderately Interesting category. It is a conjecture from a paper he wrote with Paul Larson in 2019. They were unable to solve it at the time, or in several attempts since. Brian had this to say.

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staticassertion2d ago

I actually still don't see the source for them trying several times, but we can take that for granted. Regardless, as I said:

1. It's labeled as "moderately interesting"

2. They said that they expect an expert could solve it in 1-3 months

3. They had already come up with the solution that the AI had but weren't convinced it would have worked

So how big was the gap here, do you think?

famouswafflesOP2d ago

Yes, a "moderately interesting" Open problem.

I can't think of any chores that would take an expert months to complete. I can't think of any chores that I've completed but was then 'unconvinced could work'. Please sit down and think about what you are saying here. Are we still talking about chores ?

One of the more strange phenomena with machines getting better and the incessant need (seemingly driven by human exceptionalism) to downplay each result, is that you just end up belittling humans in the process.

This is significant. Your analogy is wrong. It's fine to admit it.

staticassertion2d ago

Writing a complex parser or certainly a compiler is a 1 - 3 month project, for example.

Again, I'm not trying to downplay this, but to frame this accurately. I think an AI being able to build a parser/ compiler is cool too.

> One of the more strange phenomena with machines getting better and the incessant need (seemingly driven by human exceptionalism) to downplay each result, is that you just end up belittling humans in the process.

I don't believe in human exceptionalism at all, don't attribute positions to me.

1 more reply

famouswafflesOP2d ago

Also, the full write up does not say the researchers solved it.

staticassertion2d ago

> I had previously wondered if the AI’s approach might be possible, but it seemed hard to work out.

They didn't solve it, that's fair. They did consider the approach already.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

staticassertion2d ago

I actually still don't see the source for them trying several times, but we can take that for granted. Regardless, as I said:

1. It's labeled as "moderately interesting"

2. They said that they expect an expert could solve it in 1-3 months

3. They had already come up with the solution that the AI had but weren't convinced it would have worked

So how big was the gap here, do you think?

famouswafflesOP2d ago

Yes, a "moderately interesting" Open problem.

This is significant. Your analogy is wrong. It's fine to admit it.

staticassertion2d ago

Writing a complex parser or certainly a compiler is a 1 - 3 month project, for example.

Again, I'm not trying to downplay this, but to frame this accurately. I think an AI being able to build a parser/ compiler is cool too.

I don't believe in human exceptionalism at all, don't attribute positions to me.

1 more reply

famouswafflesOP2d ago

Also, the full write up does not say the researchers solved it.

staticassertion2d ago

> I had previously wondered if the AI’s approach might be possible, but it seemed hard to work out.

They didn't solve it, that's fair. They did consider the approach already.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse