Math Genius Fears AI Could Destroy Humanity—So He Just Joined OpenAI!

Talk about keeping your enemies close! Jacob Tsimerman—one of the brightest mathematical minds on the planet—is reportedly so concerned about artificial intelligence that he has accepted a job inside the company helping push it forward.

The 38-year-old University of Toronto professor recently won the prestigious 2026 Fields Medal, one of mathematics’ highest honors. But instead of celebrating by heading back to his chalkboard, Tsimerman revealed that he is taking leave from the university and joining OpenAI as a researcher focused on AI safety.

From Numbers to Nightmares

Here’s the wild part: Tsimerman isn’t joining the AI revolution because he thinks everything is sunshine, robots and easy homework.

He has publicly warned that highly advanced AI could create catastrophic—or even extinction-level—risks. In 2025, he co-authored a chillingly titled research paper, A Taxonomy of Omnicidal Futures Involving Artificial Intelligence, examining hypothetical scenarios in which AI systems could cause the deaths of nearly all humans.

To be clear, the paper did not claim those outcomes are inevitable. Its authors said they wanted to identify possible dangers so society could take preventive action. Still, “omnicidal futures” is not exactly the kind of phrase that helps anyone sleep at night.

He’s Going Inside the Machine

According to The Wall Street Journal, Tsimerman wants to apply formal mathematics and verification techniques to questions surrounding AI behavior—including how researchers can understand what powerful systems are doing and establish stronger assurances that they will behave safely.

In other words, he isn’t running away from the technology that scares him. He is walking directly into OpenAI and trying to help keep it under control. Bold move, professor!

AI Is Already Coming for the Chalkboard

Tsimerman reportedly believes AI systems could become consistently better than humans at performing mathematics within just a few years. He has also watched the technology become useful for less glamorous research duties, including searching technical literature, checking arguments and identifying errors.

That leaves the math superstar in one seriously complicated relationship: impressed by AI’s growing abilities, worried about where those abilities could lead—and now employed by one of the most influential companies developing them.

The bottom line: The man who can calculate things most of us cannot pronounce believes AI may be one of humanity’s biggest threats. Now he is betting that the best place to confront that threat is from inside the building.