> If the models can do this, they're almost certainly good at just about everything, because the reasoning and creativity required to solve these problems will translate.

The "then" in your "if-then" bears a heavy load. Why would society assign so little economic value to pure mathematics if the skills for proving math theorems translate to massive value in "just about everything"? Would you expect top mathematicians to cure cancer if you transplanted them from the math department to a medical research lab?