logo
Humans beat AI gold-level score at top maths contest

Humans beat AI gold-level score at top maths contest

Straits Times2 days ago
Find out what's new on ST website and app.
Around 10 per cent of human contestants won gold-level medals, and five received perfect scores of 42 points.
SYDNEY - Humans beat generative artificial intelligence (AI) models made by Google and OpenAI at a top international mathematics competition, despite the programmes reaching gold-level scores for the first time.
Neither model scored full marks – unlike five young people at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), a prestigious annual competition where participants must be under 20 years old.
Google said on July 21 that an advanced version of its Gemini chatbot had solved five out of the six maths problems set at the IMO, held in Australia's Queensland in July.
'We can confirm that Google DeepMind has reached the much-desired milestone, earning 35 out of a possible 42 points – a gold medal score,' the US tech giant cited IMO president Gregor Dolinar as saying.
'Their solutions were astonishing in many respects. IMO graders found them to be clear, precise and most of them easy to follow.'
Around 10 per cent of human contestants won gold-level medals, and five received perfect scores of 42 points.
US ChatGPT maker OpenAI said that its experimental reasoning model had scored a gold-level 35 points on the test.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22
Singapore Miscalculation of MOH subsidies and grants led to $7m in overpayments, $2m in shortfalls
Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport
Asia Indonesia on high alert as dry weather fans forest, peatland fires in Sumatra
Singapore 2 charged over alleged role in posting bail for man who later absconded
Singapore Teen charged after allegedly selling vaporisers, advertising e-cigarettes on WhatsApp
Singapore 2,500 turtles seized in India and sent back to S'pore, put down humanely after salmonella detected
Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
The result 'achieved a longstanding grand challenge in AI' at 'the world's most prestigious math competition', OpenAI researcher Alexander Wei wrote on social media.
Google achieved a silver-medal score at t he 2024 IMO in the British city of Bath, solving four of the six problems.
That took two to three days of computation – far longer than in 2025 , when its Gemini model solved the problems within the 4.5h time limit, it said.
The IMO said tech companies had 'privately tested closed-source AI models on the 2025 problems', the same ones faced by 641 competing students from 112 countries.
'It is very exciting to see progress in the mathematical capabilities of AI models,' said Professor Dolinar.
Contest organisers could not verify how much computing power had been used by the AI models or whether there had been human involvement, he cautioned. AFP
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fine for company director who played role in collecting $112k in kickbacks from migrant workers
Fine for company director who played role in collecting $112k in kickbacks from migrant workers

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Fine for company director who played role in collecting $112k in kickbacks from migrant workers

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Loo Kim Huat has paid a total of $83,050 as restitution to the affected migrant workers. SINGAPORE - A company director has been fined after he admitted to playing a role in collecting $112,400 in kickbacks from migrant workers as a condition for renewing their work passes in December 2020. On July 24, Loo Kim Huat was sentenced to a fine of $90,000 and also ordered to pay a penalty order of $42,000, after he pleaded guilty to six charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Another 12 similar charges were taken into consideration sentencing. According to a press release from the Ministry of Manpower, Loo, 68, was the director and group head of conservancy at WIS Holdings, which manages Weishen Industrial Services, a company providing estate cleaning and maintenance services for town councils. He had conspired with four others in the collection of kickbacks from 18 employees of Weishen as a condition for the renewal of their work passes. The illicit payments ranged from $900 to $7,000 for each worker. His four co-conspirators were: Lim Choong Seng, a former site manager at Weishen; conservancy workers Kabir Mohammad Humayun and Robel; and Kamaruzzaman, an employment agent based in Bangladesh. According to court documents, the 18 foreign employees were primarily conservancy workers deployed to perform estate cleaning and maintenance services for town councils. The scheme which had been ongoing four to five years before December 2020 originated from Kamaruzzaman, who was responsible for bringing in Bangladeshi nationals to work in Singapore at Weishen. Kamaruzzaman instructed Lim, Kabir, Robel and Kamaruzzaman's relatives in Singapore to collect the employment kickbacks from foreign employees whose work permits were applied under Weishen. After the employment kickback monies were collected from Kabir and Robel, they would be handed to Lim, and then to Loo. Loo, who was Lim's direct superior, would pay Lim $300 for every employment kickback amount collected from each foreign employee. Loo and Lim would decide which foreign workers' work passes to renew, providing positive feedback to Weishen's HR department for only the foreign employees who had paid the kickbacks. After receiving information on possible contravention of the laws under Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, MOM employment inspectors carried out investigations into Weishen on Dec 8, 2020. MOM said Lim was convicted in August 2024 and was sentenced to a fine of $84,000 while Kabir's case is still pending before the court. According to court documents, Robel remains at large. An MOM prosecutor told the court on July 24 that Kamaruzzaman, who operated from Bangladesh, remained outside of Singapore's jurisdiction the last time the ministry checked. Loo has paid a total of $83,050 as restitution to the affected migrant workers. Nine of the workers have returned home; the other nine are working in Singapore, with three employed at Weishen, MOM said. Those who are found to have collected kickbacks can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $30,000, or both. Migrant workers who suspect that they are being asked to give kickbacks can seek help by calling MOM at 6438-5122, or the Migrant Workers' Centre at 6536-2692. MOM said members of the public who are aware of suspicious employment activities, or know of persons or employers who contravene the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, should report the matter to the ministry on its website . All information will be kept strictly confidential, it said. An anonymous complaint led to 24 weeks' jail for a former operations manager of a conservancy company, who oversaw estate cleaners in Nee Soon East and Pasir Ris-Punggol. Derrick Ho had collected $396,440 from 57 Bangladeshi workers from 2014 to 2020 for the renewal of their work permits, in one of the largest cases of kickbacks that MOM has investigated to date. He was sentenced in November 2024.

Jail for 2 maids who stole from their employers in separate cases
Jail for 2 maids who stole from their employers in separate cases

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Jail for 2 maids who stole from their employers in separate cases

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Myanmar national Ei Shwe Sin and Indonesian national Roiyal Asriani were both jailed on July 24. SINGAPORE – Facing financial difficulties, a domestic worker stole $2,000 from a clinic where her employer was a director while she was cleaning it. Myanmar national Ei Shwe Sin, 31, was one of two maids who were given jail sentences on July 24 for stealing from their employers. She was sentenced to six weeks' jail after she pleaded guilty to a charge of theft by a servant for stealing $1,100 across 11 occasions, while a similar charge was taken into consideration during her sentencing. Meanwhile, Indonesian national Roiyal Asriani, 25, was given 10 months' jail after she pleaded guilty to two theft by a servant charges after she stole more than $30,000 in cash and jewellery. State Prosecuting Officer Ng Chee Wee said that Ei Shwe Sin's then employer, a 79-year-old woman, is the director of MCR Clinic at Veerasamy Road. The domestic worker, who was paid $550 a month, occasionally went to the clinic to clean after operating hours, on top of performing household chores at her employer's house. Ei Shwe Sin knew that after her employer and the clinic manager had tallied the daily earnings, they would leave the cash unattended on the clinic registration counter while they attended to other matters. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable' Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating At about 4.50pm on June 21, Ei Shwe Sin was cleaning the clinic premises after it had closed when she observed that there were stacks of cash left unattended on the counter. She took one stack that had bills amounting to $900 and hid it in her waist pouch before leaving the clinic. At about 9am the next day, the employer discovered that the cash was missing and suspecting that Ei Shwe Sin had stolen the money, she discussed the matter with her clinic manager and reviewed footage from the clinic's closed-circuit television cameras which had captured the theft. The employer then lodged a police report. Following her arrest, Ei Shwe Sin was also found to have stolen at least $1,100 on at least 11 occasions between March 1 and June 20. She had taken the cash from her employer's bag behind the counter or from the counter's drawer where her employer and the clinic manager had kept some of the clinic's daily cash earnings. Said SPO Ng: 'The accused's offence went undetected for the entire period as she would steal $30 to $100 in cash on each occasion.' However, her acts of theft on the 11 occasions were captured by the clinic's CCTV cameras. SPO Ng said Ei Shwe Sin was facing financial difficulties, with her family facing a debt in Myanmar, and also having bought a gold chain for $1,900 which she had to pay off in three monthly instalments. Ei Shwe Sin remitted all t he stolen cash to help her family repay the debt, and has not made restitution. Meanwhile, SPO Mohd Nasri Haron said Roiyal had entered the master bedroom of the residence where she was employed in December 2023, when her employer's family was away on holiday. There, she used keys that she found while cleaning the house to open the safe located in the wardrobe. She stole $20,000 in jewellery including necklaces, pendants, earrings and items from a wedding dowry. Roiyal sold some of the larger pieces of jewellery to Indonesian travellers at Changi Airport and brought the smaller pieces back to Indonesia where she sold them to various people. She spent the proceeds on her family, and none of the jewellery has been recovered. Between January and March 2024, Roiyal had also stolen $17,500 over four or more occasions from another safe located in the wardrobe in the master bedroom. She admitted to the police that she stole the cash and spent it on food and other personal expenses. The cash has not been recovered and Roiyal has also not made restitution to her employer. Those found guilty of t heft as a servant can be jailed for up to seven years and fined. As Ei Shwe Sin's charge and one of Roiyal's charges involved two or more incidents of the commission of the same offence, they could have received twice the amount of punishment for that charge.

Michelin Guide Singapore: 2 Japanese restaurants get one and two Michelin stars, 10 have dropped off
Michelin Guide Singapore: 2 Japanese restaurants get one and two Michelin stars, 10 have dropped off

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Michelin Guide Singapore: 2 Japanese restaurants get one and two Michelin stars, 10 have dropped off

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Chefs from the three-Michelin-starred restaurants at the Michelin Guide Singapore ceremony. SINGAPORE - Two Japanese restaurants shared the Michelin-starred spotlight at the ninth edition of the Michelin Guide Singapore on July 24. They are Omakase@Stevens at Novotel Singapore On Stevens, which received one Michelin star while Sushi Sakuta at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore has been promoted from one to two star status. This marks a double-win for Omakase@Stevens' executive chef Kazuki Arimoto, 31, who also received the Young Chef Award. Omakase@Stevens' executive chef Kazuki Arimoto receiving the Young Chef Award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO He joined the restaurant three years ago as its sous chef, and took over as executive chef in April 2024. He says: 'I'm so happy to have got one star and the Young Chef Award.' Sushi Sakuta's chef-owner Yoshio Sakuta, 47, was still in disbelief. He says: 'I'm so, so happy. I'm so appreciative of everyone who's supported us. We will continue to do our best every day and believe that we might add another star in the future.' 'This was a great showing for Japan,' adds Sushi Sakuta's head sommelier Iwabuchi Makoto, 41. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable' Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating Head sommelier Iwabuchi Makoto (left) and chef-owner Yoshio Sakuta of Sushi Sakuta receiving their two-Michelin-starred award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Singapore's trio of three-Michelin-starred establishments - Les Amis at Shaw Centre, Odette at the National Gallery Singapore and Zen in Bukit Pasoh Road - have maintained their stars. One-Michelin-starred establishment Seroja at Duo Galleria in Bugis as well as Fiz in Tanjong Pagar have also retained their Michelin Green Star, awarded to establishments for their sustainable practices and dining experiences. Other awards given out included the Service Award for Ms Ines Carriere Bega from Odette, as well as the Sommelier Award for Ms Bella Jankaew from the two-Michelin-starred Jaan by Kirk Westaway. Ms Ines Carriere Bega of Odette, winner of the Service Award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Ms Bella Jankaew of Jaan by Kirk Westaway receiving the Sommelier Award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Amid the glitz and glamour of the award ceremony - attended by over 400 chefs, trade professionals, media and invited guests - there was the stark reality that 10 one-Michelin-starred restaurants have dropped off the list. Nine of them have closed. They are Art di Daniele Sperindio, Chef Kang's, Matera, Oshino, Poise, Rhubarb, Shinji, Sommer and Sushi Kimura. Rhubarb, which underwent a concept revamp in June, is now known as Encore by Rhubarb. It remains in its location in Duxton Hill. Terra Tokyo Italian in Tras Street has lost its star, and is now on the Michelin Select list. Such eateries are recognised by the Michelin Guide for their quality, but do not qualify for a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand title. There are 26 new establishments - a mix of restaurants and hawker stalls - on the Michelin Select list. They include Na Oh in Jurong West, Somma at New Bahru and Latido in Tras Street. The cocktail reception that followed the ceremony featured seven chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants across Asia, including Mingoo Kang from three-star Mingles in South Korea and Eric Raty of the two-star Arbor in Hong Kong.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store