OpenAI says its AI found a way to disprove the Exponential Time Hypothesis, a computer-science conjecture unrelated to Ethereum. OpenAI says the finding was made on October 16, 2026, and formalized in Lean, software that checks logical steps, on October 17, 2026. Its paper describes an algorithm that counts solutions to a class of logic puzzles in subexponential time.
Researchers examining the work say their involvement does not certify the claim; it still needs independent scrutiny. OpenAI says practical improvements would require significant further research, and the paper says the result does not settle P versus NP. Anthropic also posted a paper dated October 26, 2026, claiming an algorithm for the same problem; its repository says the result says nothing about solving the puzzles in practice.
