PIMS Thematic Year on Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence

Thematic Year on Mathematics and AI

We are thrilled to announce that PIMS is designating 2026–2027 as the PIMS Thematic Year on Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence.

Recognizing the foundational role that mathematics plays in AI, including in building AI systems that are more reliable, transparent, efficient, and trustworthy, and the emerging role of AI in mathematical research itself, PIMS is bringing together researchers, students, industry leaders, and policymakers through workshops, conferences, collaborative research initiatives, and special events that explore the mathematical foundations, applications, and societal impacts of AI and the ways AI is beginning to transform mathematics.

As PIMS leadership wrote in The Conversation Canada, "investing in mathematics is one of the most powerful things we can do to secure a strong and principled AI future".

This theme emerged directly from feedback gathered through our site visits and community survey, and reflects the depth and breadth of mathematical work already happening across the PIMS network.

Activities underway or in development include:

  • A Lean and LLM workshop (August 2026, UBC) on AI-assisted formalization and theorem proving
  • A Women in Mathematics of Data Science workshop
  • A panel on "Mathematical Foundations of Canada's AI Future" that PIMS is organizing jointly with the Canadian mathematical sciences institutes at a special summit on AI and Policy Making at the Canadian Science Policy Conference
  • An AI-focused cohort within the Math to Power Industry (M2PI) program
  • A special session on the mathematical foundations of AI at the 2027 Joint Mathematics Meetings (Chicago, January 2027), organized by PIMS, alongside the CRM-PIMS-AARMS-Fields invited address
  • The MATHAM conference on Mathematics for AI (in development)


These activities span the full breadth of the theme, from foundational research to industry translation to equity and community building.

To learn more, contact your Site Director or the PIMS Directorate. We look forward to a rich and impactful year together.