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OpenAI claimed a math breakthrough this weekend, only to be smacked down

The embarrassing episode sprouted from a misunderstood post, amplified by an OpenAI executive as proof of GPT-5’s mathematical prowess, but turned out not to be what it seemed.

Jon Keegan

10/20/25 10:40AM

In an embarrassing episode this weekend, OpenAI was forced to walk back a claim of a major math breakthrough. Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s VP of science, posted on X that “GPT-5 just found solutions to 10 (!) previously unsolved Erdős problems, and made progress on 11 others. These have all been open for decades.”

What do you think “found solutions” means? It sure sounds like they are saying GPT-5 solved these problems!

But shortly after posting this, Thomas Bloom, who runs ErdosProblems.com, disputed the claim. Bloom’s website contains a database of 1,103 of Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős’ challenging problems and references to their solutions that have been found in academic research papers. Bloom called OpenAI’s announcement “a dramatic misrepresentation,” and said that GPT-5 found merely references to solutions for 10 problems that were previously published.

The competition is extremely intense among top AI companies to achieve computing breakthroughs that might indicate the eternally imminent arrival of AGI, so a post like this from such a high-ranking executive caught the industry’s attention.

After being called out for the incorrect claim, Weil acknowledged the error, saying he misunderstood the post in which researcher Mark Sellke detailed the Erdős problems listed as open that GPT-5 had found published solutions for. Weil deleted the original post, but not before other top AI researchers from OpenAI’s rival’s weighed in.

Alphabet’s GoogleMind cofounder and Nobel Prize winner Demis Hassabis wrote, “this is embarrassing.”

Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun, a pioneer in neural networks, dropped the mic with this post:

Hoisted by their own GPTards
— Yann LeCun (@ylecun) October 18, 2025

Rani Molla6h

Apple reportedly delays its foldable phone to 2029 or later

Apple has pushed back the debut of its $3,000 foldable phone — part of its three-year plan to update how the iPhone looks — to 2029 or even later, Bloomberg reports. Originally Bloomberg reported that the iPhone maker had hoped for the foldable phone to come out in 2026, but thanks to “engineering challenges tied to weight, features and display technology” customers will have to wait a few years longer.

For what it’s worth, as is the case with its upcoming touchscreen MacBook Pro, many of Apple’s competitors, including Samsung and Google, already have foldable phones.

Apple’s Planned Foldable iPad With 18-inch Screen Hits Development Snags

For what it’s worth, as is the case with its upcoming touchscreen MacBook Pro, many of Apple’s competitors, including Samsung and Google, already have foldable phones.

Jon Keegan9h

OpenAI has an army of ex-investment bankers making financial models to train ChatGPT

OpenAI is looking for its killer app for the business world. After all, you can only sell so many $20 monthly subscriptions to consumers — which currently accounts for 70% of its $13 billion annually recurring revenue.

Bloomberg is reporting that OpenAI is beefing up ChatGPT’s financial chops to target the deep pockets of the banking industry.

According to the report, “Project Mercury” has lined up over 100 former investment bankers getting paid $150 an hour to help teach OpenAI’s models how to do the grueling work of junior bankers, including tweaking PowerPoint slides and building financial models in Microsoft Excel.

OpenAI Hires Ex-Goldman Staff to Help Cut Down Junior Bankers’ Grunt Work

Rani Molla11h

Warner Bros. Discovery just raised the price of HBO Max

Warner Bros. Discovery, which announced today it’s open to being bought, also said it’s raising prices on its HBO Max streaming subscribers.

Effective immediately for new customers and at the next renewal date for existing ones, subscribers to the ad-supported tier will pay an extra dollar a month ($10.99) and those who don’t want ads will see prices go up $1.50 a month (to $18.49). It joins the ranks of Disney, Apple, and NBC Universal, which also recently raised prices. WBD is also reportedly cracking down on password-sharing.

Here’s how the prices of their services compare now:

HBO Max Raises Prices Across All Plans Effective Immediately

Here’s how the prices of their services compare now:

Rani Molla13h

Amazon aims to automate 75% of its operations and avoid hiring 600,000+ people

Amazon might be one of few companies hiring ahead of the holiday season, but the e-commerce giant hopes to limit headcount additions in the years ahead as it leans more deeply into automation, according to The New York Times’ interviews and a survey of internal documents.

Some numbers from the report:

Amazon thinks robots can help it forgo hiring more than 160,000 people in the US by 2027.
That would mean $0.30 in savings on each item that Amazon sells.
The company would ultimately like to automate 75% of its operations.
Automation could potentially lessen its hiring of humans by more than 600,000 by 2033.
It expects to sell 2x as many products in 2033.
Currently Amazon employs 1.2 million people.

Happy holidays!

Inside Amazon’s Plans to Replace Workers With Robots

Amazon thinks robots can help it forgo hiring more than 160,000 people in the US by 2027.
That would mean $0.30 in savings on each item that Amazon sells.
The company would ultimately like to automate 75% of its operations.
Automation could potentially lessen its hiring of humans by more than 600,000 by 2033.
It expects to sell 2x as many products in 2033.
Currently Amazon employs 1.2 million people.

Happy holidays!

Jon Keegan, Matt Phillips

10/20/25

Alibaba researchers devise efficient GPU pooling system, reducing GPU use 82%

Drastically reducing the amount of GPUs needed for running AI models could have big consequences for the scale of huge data centers, while benefiting smaller organizations. It also could reduce demand for pricey new GPUs from Nvidia.

Blue and Orange 3D Cubes Representing Interconnected AI Systems and Digital Transformation