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Ask HN: Is September 8th AGI Day?

2 points by rvz ↗ HN
Today should be celebrated as the day that "AGI" actually means something now. That an AI model gave a solution to the Navier-Stokes problem which was one of the 7 unsolved millennium prize problems.

Keep in mind that 1 (or less than 5) expert human mathematician (Grigori Perelman) out of 8 billion humans managed to solve 1 of the seven millennium prize problems which was the Poincaré conjecture. [0] That alone should tell you that an AI solved a problem which only 1 human was able to do. That is AGI, and there are no more goal posts to move. (Sorry Garry Marcus)

I understand that at the same time all of us are feeling what Lee Sedol (professional Go player) felt 10 years ago after the AlphaGo match, that there was no point in continuing and you might think that the AI knows best. There are still more problems yet to be discovered with AI and requires humans to verify.

So don't be sad that this 90 year problem was solved, just be happy that is exactly what AGI should be.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poincar%C3%A9_conjecture

19 comments

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bigyabai
> So don't be sad that this 90 year problem was solved, just be happy that is exactly what AGI should be.

???

I feel like I'm going crazy reading this stuff. Are we about to be passed a Dixie cup with Kool-aid in it?

huurtehoog
They've gone full cult.
rvz
As I said before, you still need expert human verifiers to check the solution.

But I think you should read the contents of the article first before calling it one.

Not everything you don't like is a "cult".

[0] https://openai.com/index/navier-stokes-solution/

huurtehoog
I'm not talking about OpenAI

I'm talking about you

> So don't be sad that this 90 year problem was solved, just be happy that is exactly what AGI should be.

That sounds like a cult leader.

rvz
So an AI model(s) giving a solution to a 90 year problem is not "AGI" to you and maybe you have a different definition of "AGI" (There have been many other definitions which were far more nonsensical before this event.)

Then all you can just say to answer the original question, is where you believe the goalpost should be moved to and explain why this is not AGI day.

huurtehoog
AI, AGI, and intelligence itself are poorly defined.

I invite you to add to the literature if you think you have any novel insight, and get it published.

Otherwise I'd recommend digging deeper into history, cognitive science, philosophy. That would prevent making any such empty claims as "today is the day artificial general intelligence was created".

If otherwise you prefer to be mystified by linear algebra and big computers, I kindly refuse to partake.

bigyabai
It is specifically your manner of speech that is pretentious and cultlike.

If you cannot comment on technological advancement without making hyperbolic claims, why would you even comment at all? Deep down you must know that "Ask HN: Is September 8th AGI Day?" is a plainly bad-faith question that does not stimulate intellectual curiosity and cannot be answered at all.

vouaobrasil
As a former mathematician, I'm not impressed at all. I don't even care about the solution. I think an integral part of math is what the human mind can do, and if AI was required, then to me it's not impressive at all.

I never cared about merely solving problems. I care about the beauty that one can construct from the human mind, and that was the entire point, at least for me, to practise math. To me, what mathematicians have done with AI and Navier Stokes is worthless.

serf
>I care about the beauty that one can construct from the human mind, and that was the entire point, at least for me, to practise math.

the result of this originates from the beauty of the human mind, even if the tool used blinds you to the (very human) conquering of a long standing problem.

vouaobrasil
Even horrible acts can originate from good intentions and places of beauty. The tool use does not blind me but reveals the stupidity of merely solving problems for the sake of solving them. Only your love and addiction to technology blinds you.
hardbass
I used to think of mathematicians as generally level headed people, I am having to re-evaluate my viewpoint.
atsushin
if this is the terminus of AI then my god we live in such a lame reality
mdspan
> Keep in mind that 1 (or less than 5) expert human mathematician (Grigori Perelman) out of 8 billion humans managed to solve 1 of the seven millennium prize problems which was the Poincaré conjecture.

8 billion is the wrong number to use in the denominator, since not every single person on Earth was actively trying to make progress in Navier-Stokes. Equivalently, we could say "1 out of every 5 billion AI prompts managed to solve 1 of the seven millennium prize problems".

rvz
> Equivalently, we could say "1 out of every 5 billion AI prompts managed to solve 1 of the seven millennium prize problems".

Why did you choose exactly "5 billion" when we both know it is far higher than that? [0]

OpenAI worked on the problem since September 1st until the 5th, around 4 days so that would still be around 1 - 4.9 million prompts out 8 billion total prompts every 4 days.

[0] https://www.theverge.com/news/710867/openai-chatgpt-daily-pr...

nhgiang
Go touch some grass
rvz
Consider this for a bit.

Maybe you should go and seek work first before correctly answering this question?

Be a bit polite next time.

bigyabai
Everyone besides you in this thread is echoing the parent's exact sentiment.

Maybe you should get one of your coworkers to reword the next question you ask HN.

abstractspoon
Betteridge says?
rvz
Betteridge's Law of Headlines does not apply here.

There is a paper with an in depth proof which can be verified and is not speculative.