Description:

The Role of AI in Scientific Discovery: Opportunities and Limitations

Xiangliang Zhang, Leonard C. Bettex Collegiate Professor of Computer Science, University of Notre Dame

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of scientific discovery, enabling breakthroughs across diverse fields.  However, when these AI tools are applied to scientific problems, gaps and mismatches often arise. The inherent uncertainty in scientific phenomena, coupled with issues like data quality, biases, and interpretability, poses significant challenges. This talk will discuss the transformative potential of AI in scientific discovery, focusing on its applications in predictive modeling, generative tasks, optimization strategies, and literature analysis. Examples will include AI models ranging from traditional neural networks to large language models (LLMs). At the same time, their limitations will be critically examined, calling for collaboration between the AI and scientific communities to address these challenges and unlock AI’s full potential in advancing scientific discovery.