AI has made the race to publish mathematical breakthroughs pointless, according to the Australian at the centre of an controversy this week involving one of the world's top AI companies.

The subject of the controversy may be extremely complex, but experts say it boils down to simple issues of trust and ethics.

After a public firestorm with the technology giant over a $1.4 million problem, Tristan Buckmaster says artificial intelligence has taken over his profession.