OpenAI denies accessing mathematicians' work to solve its math problem

OpenAICompany publication

Denies accessing the researchers' work for this effort but cannot rule out de-identified usage data contributing to model improvement.

Responding to

OpenAI says its researchers and agents did not access Buckmaster and Alpöge's unpublished work for the project.

“no specific user data was accessed in order to solve this problem.”

Official statement

Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)OpenAI's Navier–Stokes announcement and research timeline · OpenAI
WIRED illustration for the OpenAI, Anthropic, and mathematics credit dispute.

Where this statement fits

Did OpenAI improperly pressure mathematicians over authorship and credit?

Tristan Buckmaster describes pressure over authorship and publication during discussions about competing AI-assisted mathematics results. Sébastien Bubeck disputes that characterization and says the proposed authorship concerned OpenAI's own proof. His apology for career-related wording does not settle the disagreement. Researchers and commentators divide over whether the negotiations were appropriate, while raising a separate dispute about the treatment of unpublished user research.

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Source and context

Official statement

OpenAI's Navier–Stokes announcement and research timeline (opens in a new tab) · OpenAI

About this source

Official account links the mathematical paper and formalization, denies targeted access to the other team's work and retains a caveat about de-identified training data. We do not independently certify the proof.

Before the quotation

Publishes its claimed solution, formalization and project timeline.

After the quotation

Credits the other team's forced-Euler work. The mathematical validity and any effect of earlier training remain distinct questions.

How this statement is classified

Challenged the characterization

The label describes this statement's response within the context above.

Why this label?

Official denial with an express limitation, not a blanket statement that user interactions never affected training.

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Publisher
The Dispute Index
Title
OpenAI denies accessing mathematicians' work to solve its math problem
First published
Last updated
Permalink
https://disputeindex.com/events/302-denies-accessing-the-researchers-work-for-this-effort

Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.

The Dispute Index. "OpenAI denies accessing mathematicians' work to solve its math problem". First published: 2026-09-10. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/302-denies-accessing-the-researchers-work-for-this-effort