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AI Came for Math. Now It's Chasing the Rest of Science

MIT researchers say AI could soon be the default tool for theoretical problems in economics and high-energy physics, fields far from the math where it started; professors are nervous.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN Tonight
Published 7:34 PM ET, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Photo: Tedder · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN Tonight at 7:34 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Wired's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: A data center — Photo: Tedder · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

First reported by Wired: “AI Came for Math. Now It’s Chasing the Rest of Science”.
Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 7:34 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
Topics: AI.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

WiredAI Came for Math. Now It’s Chasing the Rest of Science

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentMIT researchers tell Wired that AI may soon be the default way to solve theoretical problems in economics, high-energy physics, and other fields, after it already moved through math.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the robot does the homework now, and the professors just watch it get an A. That's the best news I've heard all week.

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