PSI used unreleased Anthropic model in possible solution to quantum problem
🎧 Listen to this story
David Turturean, a researcher at Physical Superintelligence (PSI), used Anthropic’s unreleased Fable 5.2 model to produce a proof related to the Aaronson-Ambainis conjecture, which concerns whether quantum computers can solve problems faster than classical computers. Scott Aaronson, one of the researchers who posed the problem, told TechCrunch that he believes the proof is correct because it was formalized in Lean and explained by top researchers, although he still does not fully understand it. The result appears to close one possible route for quantum computers to solve certain difficult problems quickly, but not all of them.
PSI aims to turn specialized AI systems, with tools, memory and simulations, into a scientific-discovery business. For now, its revenue comes from optimizing data centers; its long-term strategy is to convert breakthroughs in theoretical physics into technologies. CEO Matt Pines told TechCrunch that validating physics results with experiments remains more difficult than working with formalized mathematics.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The case suggests that unreleased models can contribute to formalized mathematics, while Aaronson’s assessment keeps human validation as an important part of the process. The distinction between proving a result in Lean and confirming it experimentally also limits the practical reach of this approach to scientific discovery.
Sources
Research