Mathematics professor Jacob Tsimerman joins OpenAI for AI safety

Jacob Tsimerman, a University of Toronto mathematics professor, won the Fields Medal in 2026 for contributions to the André–Oort Conjecture and Shimura varieties.

In 2025, Tsimerman co-authored research on hypothetical pathways through which advanced AI could threaten humanity.

Tsimerman announced he will join OpenAI to work on AI safety research, applying his mathematical expertise to AI alignment, formal verification, and system reliability.

Tsimerman believes mathematics can provide theoretical foundations to verify AI models, improve interpretability, and develop safety guarantees.