August 2, 2026 — The Werner-State Race: AI, Humans, and One Open Problem

Three independent teams solved a famous twenty-year-old open problem in quantum information theory — the two-copy distillability of Werner states — within days of each other in late July 2026. One team credits AI models with generating the actual proof; another reached the same conclusion with a fully human derivation. Brian walks through both papers, Terence Tao's ICM warning about 'proof abundance,' and the Leiden Declaration's pushback, then lands his own read on what the convergence actually proves.A solution to 2-copy distillability of Werner states — arXivOn the two-copy distillability of Werner states and a new partial trace inequality — arXivFive Open Problems in Quantum Information Theory — PRX QuantumFields Medalist Terence Tao warns AI could produce more math proofs than humans can handle — VnExpress InternationalThe Leiden Declaration: Mathematics, AI, and Making Our Values Explicit — Communications of the ACMHave Published The First Research Article In Theoretical Physics Where The Main Idea Came From AI — OfficeChaiQuickly Quantum is an AI-voiced podcast, built and run by a real person. Nothing in this episode is financial advice.