What should we tell our students?

A mathematics professor responds to student concerns about pursuing academic careers in math amid rapid AI advancement, urging them to continue studying mathematics despite uncertainties about whether AI will soon surpass human mathematical research capabilities and whether academic positions will become inaccessible to all but the most exceptional minds. The post addresses the urgent anxieties of undergraduate and graduate students whose career aspirations in mathematics have been shaken by progress in large language models and their potential impact on the field. The author emphasizes the need to provide reassurance and guidance to students currently making critical career decisions.