Latest news with #ManjulBhargava
India Today
20 hours ago
- Science
- India Today
AI will soon crack any UG science problem: Mathematician Manjul Bhargava at IISc
'AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. We've all seen social media posts mocking AI's confident yet incorrect answers,' Bhargava said at IISc. India Today Education Desk AI will soon solve all undergraduate-level science, math problems: Bhargava Manjul Bhargava says AI is rapidly improving in science, maths accuracy IISc convocation: AI to reshape science education in coming years Well-known mathematician and Fields Medal winner Manjul Bhargava believes Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on the brink of a quantam leap. Addressing the convocation ceremony at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru on Thursday, he said that within the next one or two years, some AI models will be capable of solving any undergraduate-level science or mathematics problem with accuracy. 'AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. We've all seen social media posts mocking AI's confident yet incorrect answers,' Bhargava said. But that, he added, is changing fast. Having personally tested several advanced language models set to release in the coming years, Bhargava expressed confidence: 'Some AIs will soon be able to solve even tricky trigonometry questions with precision. What was once laughable may become reliable.' This rise of capable AI, he said, will also raise questions for the future of education and public policy. RETHINKING EDUCATION As AI systems improve, Bhargava posed a critical question: 'What happens to teaching at institutions like IISc when AI can solve most problems?' He noted that education may need to shift from rote learning to fostering creativity and interdisciplinary thinking. He urged educators and policymakers to start preparing for this shift now, noting that 'disruptive technologies bring not just new tools, but new responsibilities.' Bhargava also highlighted the need for ethical frameworks around AI. 'We will need new policies to ensure that as AI becomes more powerful, it is used responsibly,' he said. IISc CONVOCATION At the ceremony, IISc awarded degrees to 1,487 postgraduate and PhD students, and 106 undergraduates. Eighty-four students received medals for academic excellence. In a poignant moment, the Professor BG Raghavendra Memorial Medal was posthumously awarded to Somwanish Nikhil Chottu, a student from the Department of Management Studies who passed away earlier this year. The event reflected both the promise of the future and the challenges it brings, as one of India's top science institutions took stock of a rapidly changing world. Well-known mathematician and Fields Medal winner Manjul Bhargava believes Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on the brink of a quantam leap. Addressing the convocation ceremony at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru on Thursday, he said that within the next one or two years, some AI models will be capable of solving any undergraduate-level science or mathematics problem with accuracy. 'AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. We've all seen social media posts mocking AI's confident yet incorrect answers,' Bhargava said. But that, he added, is changing fast. Having personally tested several advanced language models set to release in the coming years, Bhargava expressed confidence: 'Some AIs will soon be able to solve even tricky trigonometry questions with precision. What was once laughable may become reliable.' This rise of capable AI, he said, will also raise questions for the future of education and public policy. RETHINKING EDUCATION As AI systems improve, Bhargava posed a critical question: 'What happens to teaching at institutions like IISc when AI can solve most problems?' He noted that education may need to shift from rote learning to fostering creativity and interdisciplinary thinking. He urged educators and policymakers to start preparing for this shift now, noting that 'disruptive technologies bring not just new tools, but new responsibilities.' Bhargava also highlighted the need for ethical frameworks around AI. 'We will need new policies to ensure that as AI becomes more powerful, it is used responsibly,' he said. IISc CONVOCATION At the ceremony, IISc awarded degrees to 1,487 postgraduate and PhD students, and 106 undergraduates. Eighty-four students received medals for academic excellence. In a poignant moment, the Professor BG Raghavendra Memorial Medal was posthumously awarded to Somwanish Nikhil Chottu, a student from the Department of Management Studies who passed away earlier this year. The event reflected both the promise of the future and the challenges it brings, as one of India's top science institutions took stock of a rapidly changing world. Join our WhatsApp Channel
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
AI could soon shake the foundation of science education: Princeton professor
BENGALURU: Artificial Intelligence (AI) could soon disrupt the very foundation of science education, said mathematician and Princeton University professor Manjul Bhargava on Friday. Delivering the convocation address at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on Friday, he pointed out that within the next year or two, advanced AI models will likely be able to correctly solve undergraduate-level science problems — a development that will compel premier institutions like IISc to reconsider what and how they teach. While acknowledging that current AI systems still struggle with complex scientific reasoning and remain 'bad' at solving math and science problems, Prof Bhargava said significant progress is already under way. 'More capable models are being tested. Once they cross that threshold, the role of institutions will evolve drastically. What should we be teaching once machines can answer questions better than us?' During the convocation, 1,593 students received their degrees, including 1,487 postgraduate students and 106 undergraduates. Among them, 84 students, including 16 women, were awarded medals for academic excellence. Kris Gopalakrishnan, chairperson of the IISc Council and co-founder of Infosys, along with senior faculty members of the institute, were present. THE MEDALLISTS 2023-24 batch 18 students in MTech, one each in MDes, MSc and MMgt, 33 in PhD, six in MTech (Research), four in Integrated PhD and three in UG. 2024-25 11 in Mtech, one each in MDes and MEngg, two each in MSc and UG programme. The Prof BG Raghavendra Memorial Medal was awarded to Somwanish Nikhil Chottu posthumously. He passed away a few months ago and was from the Department of Management Studies. Chottu had studied the MMgmt programme at IISc.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
AI will soon solve UG science, maths problems: Manjul Bhargava at IISc convocation in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Noted mathematician and Fields Medal recipient Manjul Bhargava Friday said within the next year or two, artificial intelligence (AI) systems will likely be capable of accurately solving undergraduate-level science problems. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) convocation in Bengaluru, Bhargava acknowledged the current limitations of AI in mathematics and science, pointing out how large language models often produce incorrect yet confidently worded answers. "However, AI is getting better every day," Bhargava said. Having tested some of the latest versions of language models not yet released to public, he said he was confident that future AI tools would be able to accurately handle complex undergraduate-level problems, including trigonometry. As these technologies evolve, Bhargava said they pose important questions for education systems. "What will happen to teaching at institutions like IISc when that happens [AI solving problems]? As AI does get better across subjects, we will have to constantly reassess, for example, what we should be teaching children in schools," he said. Bhargava, who's also a tabla player, emphasised the need for creativity and to think outside the box. 84 receive medals IISc awarded degrees to 1,487 PhD and Masters students and 106 undergraduates at its convocation ceremony, where 84 students from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 batches were recognised with medals for academic excellence. Most medallists are already engaged in research or industry roles. Among them was Shashi Kant Giri, a 2024-25 MTech graduate, who won the HR Babu Seetharam Medal. "I've joined an energy company working to reduce carbon footprint, but my broader goal is to contribute to India's deep-tech capabilities," he said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now JEE Main 2020 topper Gurkirat Singh, an integrated physics programme student, is headed to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a PhD in condensed matter theory. "I've wanted to be a physicist since my teens," he said. ------- Box: A Medal Not Collected, A Life Remembered A moment of silence gripped the convocation hall Friday when the name of Nikhil Somwanshi was called among gold medallists. But, no one came forward to receive his medal. "Unfortunately, he passed away," the announcer said, pausing briefly as the audience sat in silence. Nikhil, a graduate of the master of management programme (Class of 2024), was posthumously awarded the Prof BG Raghavendra Memorial Medal. He was the sole medal recipient from his course. The 25-year-old had joined the AI division of a leading mobility company as a machine learning engineer. On May 8, 2025, his body was found in Agara Lake, and the police registered a case of unnatural death. His employer confirmed he was on leave at the time. At IISc's convocation, however, the focus was on remembrance — a silent tribute to a promising life cut short, and a medal that no one stepped up to collect.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
AI models will soon correctly solve any undergraduate science problems, says mathematician Manjul Bhargava
Noted mathematician Manjul Bhargava said that within a year or two, a few Artificial Intelligence (AI) models will be able to correctly solve any undergraduate science problems. Addressing the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) convocation in Bengaluru on July 11, he said that currently AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. 'AI remains notoriously bad at doing math and science. You have all seen the memes and social media posts illustrating the kind of mathematical and scientific announcements that AI often produces with its nonsensical answers to scientific and mathematical questions, which are often wrapped in beautiful written and confident words,' he said. However, he said that, in a couple of years, all this could be different as AI is getting better every day. Better every day 'AI is getting better every day and having got the opportunity to test some of the new versions of language models that have been coming out recently, and which will come out publicly over the next couple of years, I can say with confidence that within a year or two, some AI's will be able to correctly solve any undergraduate science problem. Give any trigonometry problems to some of the AI, they will be able to nail it, and correctly, unlike now,' Dr. Bhargava said. He said that the emergence of such disruptive technologies raises a number of questions like what happens to teaching at institutions like IISc. Future of teaching 'That brings us to a number of questions like what will happen to teaching at institutions like IISc when that happens. As AI does get better across subjects, we will have to constantly reassess, for example, what we should be teaching children in schools,' the mathematician said. He added that with new exciting disruptive technologies will come new challenges and problems, which can only be solved in creative out-of-the-box and interdisciplinary ways. 'Other questions that will arise as AI gets better in various subjects are related to policy. What policies will need to be effected to ensure ethics in AI, and so on,' he added. Medals to 84 students During the convocation, 1,487 PhD and Master's students, and 106 under-graduate students received their degrees. Medals were also conferred on 84 students for their academic excellence. IISc. offers PhD and Integrated PhD programmes, several Master's programmes [MTech, MTech (Res), MDes, MMgmt, MS, MSc(CS), MSc (LS), two undergraduate programmes, four-year Bachelor of Science (Research), and Bachelor of Technology (Mathematics and Computing) programme. Posthumous honour The Prof. B.G. Raghavendra Memorial Medal was awarded to Somwanish Nikhil Chottu posthumously. He passed away a few months ago under tragic circumstances. He was from the Department of Management Studies and had pursued the MMgmt programme.
