Part of the webinar series of the SIAM Activity Group on Data Science (SIAG/DATA). Thursday, August 27, 2026, 8:00 AM PDT / 11:00 AM EDT / 15:00 UTC / 16:00 CET. Advance registration is required via this link.
Talk title: What is Foundational Research in the Age of AI?
Abstract: What are the actual capabilities of AI in research, especially mathematical research, stripped of hype (and dread)? I’ll talk about independent evaluations on research problems, a functional view of what LLMs really are, and the mounting stresses on scholarly publishing. This could go many ways, and we as a field have some control over this. My wish is for foundational research to be grander than today, valuing fewer, higher-quality contributions (vs easily generated quantity), and motivated by intense curiosity and passion. But this is just the beginning of the discussion!