Interesting shift in perception: AI doing math/science research hits different than AI doing creative work. When models generate art or code, it feels like automation of human tasks. But when AI starts proving theorems, discovering new physics insights, or solving open mathematical problems, it suddenly feels like we're actually in the future we imagined.
The difference? Math and science progress was always the "hard" frontier. Flying cars were supposed to come after we mastered physics and engineering at a fundamental level. Seeing AI tackle Millennium Prize problems or accelerate materials discovery gives that same "we're finally here" vibe.
Maybe it's because creative work, while impressive, still feels like pattern matching at scale. But mathematical proofs and scientific breakthroughs require reasoning that we assumed only human intelligence could handle. When machines start doing that, the sci-fi future doesn't feel 50 years away anymore.
The difference? Math and science progress was always the "hard" frontier. Flying cars were supposed to come after we mastered physics and engineering at a fundamental level. Seeing AI tackle Millennium Prize problems or accelerate materials discovery gives that same "we're finally here" vibe.
Maybe it's because creative work, while impressive, still feels like pattern matching at scale. But mathematical proofs and scientific breakthroughs require reasoning that we assumed only human intelligence could handle. When machines start doing that, the sci-fi future doesn't feel 50 years away anymore.