Two Independent Proofs of the Same Crypto Problem Show How AI Is Transforming Science
OpenAI
Two researchers independently solved the same open problem in quantum cryptography almost simultaneously using OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra. The MIT PhD student Seyoon Ragavan and professors Prabhanjan Ananth (UC Santa Barbara) and Amit Sahai (UCLA) submitted their papers to arXiv.org just three hours apart. The case raises fundamental questions about scientific credit and the meaning of independent discovery when everyone uses the same AI model.
Two independent proofs of the same quantum cryptography problem illustrate how AI is changing science. MIT doctoral student Seyoon Ragavan and professors Prabhanjan Ananth of UC Santa Barbara and Amit Sahai of UCLA submitted their papers to arXiv.org within three hours of each other, as reported by Scientific American. Both used OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra model but employed different methods. The problem involved 'unclonable encryption,' a cryptographic technique that uses quantum properties. The researchers are now considering merging their work. This case raises fundamental questions: if all researchers have access to the same AI model, what counts as an independent discovery, and who deserves credit? Ananth remarked that when someone mentions an open problem, the first step is to check if GPT can solve it. Ragavan, a third-year PhD student, said his research approach has changed completely compared to two months ago. Mathematics is particularly feeling the impact of AI's capabilities, with reactions ranging from enthusiasm about new possibilities to depression over identity loss.
- Abbreviations
- MIT = Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Массачусетский технологический институт
- UC = University of California — Калифорнийский университет
- UCLA = University of California, Los Angeles — Калифорнийский университет в Лос-Анджелесе
Source: The Decoder (DE) —
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