Physics Letters B paper built on a GPT-5 idea draws criticism that it tests the wrong thing
Physicist Steve Hsu published a Physics Letters B paper whose main idea, applying the Tomonaga–Schwinger formalism to test state-dependent (nonlinear) quantum mechanics, came from GPT-5. He called it the 'first research article in theoretical physics in which the main idea came from an AI'. Jonathan Oppenheim argued the criterion detects nonlocality rather than nonlinearity, and Peter Woit called it 'Theoretical Physics Slop'.
Key facts
- Claim (Hsu): 'first research article in theoretical physics in which the main idea came from an AI'
- Rebuttal: Oppenheim, arXiv 2512.07809
- Peer-reviewed publication did not prevent a substantive correctness dispute
Science result
- Field
- physics / foundations of quantum mechanics
- Problem
- Testing nonlinear modifications of quantum mechanics
- Result
- Published criterion proposed by GPT-5; critics argue it does not test what it claims.
- AI system
- GPT-5
- Human role
- Human-led; AI supplied the main idea
- Verification
- Peer-reviewed in Physics Letters B; disputed by experts
- Status
- disputed
What happened
A physicist credited GPT-5 with the core idea of a peer-reviewed paper, and other physicists argued the idea was flawed.
Why it matters
It is a cautionary example: AI-originated ideas can pass peer review and still be wrong or misframed.
Changelog
- 2026-09-29: created
Related events
Sources (3)
- pressThe Decoder: Physicist Steve Hsu publishes research built around a core idea generated by GPT-5
- discussionOppenheim rebuttal (arXiv 2512.07809)
- discussionPeter Woit: Theoretical Physics Slop
id: 2025-12-01-hsu-gpt-5-physics-paper-dispute · updated 2026-09-29 · open in the interactive timeline