Yau mathematics and AI alliance launches at Tsinghua

The Yau Laboratory Alliance for Mathematics and AI was inaugurated at Tsinghua University in Beijing on October 11, bringing together eight leading mathematics research institutions under the direction of Shing-Tung Yau, a Fields medalist and chair professor at Tsinghua.

The alliance aims to use AI to accelerate mathematical and interdisciplinary research while grounding AI development in mathematical theory. It is expected to unite nearly 1,000 leading mathematical talents and research teams across fundamental mathematics, applied mathematics and interdisciplinary fields.

Its operating model will share large-scale model training resources, formalized mathematics libraries and computing platforms among participating institutions. Planned work includes specialized models for mathematical science, infrastructure for AI-assisted research, mathematics-led interdisciplinary breakthroughs, international cooperation and talent cultivation, with laboratories planned in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Yau described the moment as both exciting and dangerous for scholars, saying AI could produce epoch-making scholarship if used properly but could lead to disastrous consequences if handled poorly. He said AI’s ability to integrate human thought through powerful computing makes its transformative force more striking than the mathematical advances he has witnessed during 50 years in research.