International Mathematical Union endorses Leiden Declaration warning of AI threats to mathematics research and autonomy

The Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics was published on June 2, 2026, developed by a working group of 16 researchers over eight months following a conference at Leiden University in September 2025. It has been endorsed by the International Mathematical Union and has drawn hundreds of signatories.

The declaration warns of five specific threats: AI models producing plausible but unreliable or incorrect arguments difficult to distinguish from correct proofs; AI outputs failing to properly cite human works they synthesize, often trained on data obtained through copyright violation; AI use becoming incentivized for its own sake, disrupting hiring and funding mechanisms; mathematics achievements communicated through press releases without peer review, leading to oversimplification; and increasing tech company involvement threatening mathematics autonomy as university budgets pressure researchers into collaborations on asymmetric terms.

The declaration recommends individual mathematicians transparently disclose their use of AI tools, retain responsibility for correctness, continue crediting human authors, and consider using only AI tools aligned with the declaration's values. Professional mathematical organizations should develop guidelines for AI use in publication and review and protect researcher rights through licensing agreements.