Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize scientific research, making it possible to uncover new discoveries that would have been missed by human researchers. A lot of the advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) over the past years have led to an increased level of hype, with some claiming that AI may one day be able to “create life” or even “take over the world”. In reality, artificial intelligence is already being used to greatly improve modern science and make some amazing discoveries. While this technology’s potential for use in medical research and computational chemistry is particularly promising, AI is also being innovated in other areas to help scientists discover unknown facts.
AI can help scientists discover new planets
The discovery of exoplanets — planets orbiting other stars — has been revolutionized by AI-powered tools. Scientists have discovered thousands of exoplanets since 1995 using ground-based telescopes like the Kepler Space Telescope. In 2017 alone, astronomers announced the discovery of more than 3,500 exoplanets across 1,700 systems!
AI may be able to predict stock market crashes
The researchers found that their AI could predict market crashes with 89 percent accuracy. While that might seem like a high number, it’s actually lower than we’ve seen in other studies where AI has been used to predict financial market trends.
AI can help you plan your next vacation
Imagine if your computer could automatically plan your next vacation, pulling in data that accounts for all the unique information you and your family have to consider—what time of year it is, what’s affordable, how long you can take off work, and so on. If it can get you through the airport quickly and minimize security lines, too? That’s a bonus.
AI is being used to fight cancer
The initial results of a study in which AI was used to analyze over 100,000 cancer patients’ records are promising. Researchers hope that this new method will help them discover new patterns that could better inform treatment for the disease.
AI can help diagnose diseases
One of the most exciting ways that AI is transforming science is in its ability to accurately diagnose diseases and health conditions. For example, a team from the University of Chicago were able to create an algorithm that can identify genetic mutations commonly found in cancer patients. The algorithm was able to predict the same mutations that expertly trained physicians would find, but was able to do so with 94% accuracy, as opposed to 82% accuracy by humans.
AI might spot Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms have been detected
It can also help doctors diagnose cancer and heart disease faster than traditional methods allow. In addition, AI can predict which patients are at risk of developing diseases based on their medical history and lifestyle choices.
AI could lead to faster and better drug discovery
The power of AI lies in its ability to quickly evaluate massive amounts of data and find patterns that humans might miss. The technology is already transforming scientific research: It could lead to faster and better drug discovery, accelerate the development of new materials, and unlock secrets of the universe.
AI could help scientists design better experiments
There are several ways that AI can be used in science: first and foremost, it can help scientists design better experiments. By creating algorithms that learn from past human research decisions, artificial intelligence can predict which experiments are more likely to yield results—and this could save scientists time and money by avoiding unnecessary work. This would also allow for faster discoveries—
AI could help us better comprehend evolutionary biology
In the same way artificial intelligence can transform the field of medicine, it could also have a massive impact on the study of evolutionary biology. As a new study suggests, AI could help us better comprehend how species develop and evolve. Instead of relying on imperfect fossil records, scientists could use AI to create accurate simulations of evolution over time. So far, they’ve managed to develop simulated animals that are similar to real-life creatures like monkeys and horses. The idea is that with more precise data about how species change over time, we can learn more about how evolution works—and why humans developed into such complex creatures on Earth.
Human-level AGI may sound like science fiction
While we may be a long way from the robot overlords of sci-fi lore, there are plenty of reasons to believe that we could be on the cusp of creating a truly self-teaching AI. There are already programs that can beat humans in their own games, and others that can write their own software. Some programs have even figured out how to make money by trading on the stock market. For years now, investors and scientists have been trying to figure out how to create an “artificial general intelligence” that could think for itself and tackle problems outside of its field of expertise—something like a human brain. But it’s only recently that computers have become fast enough to do things like process huge amounts of data, or learn from their mistakes—qualities that are essential for intelligence. It’s all about making sure that computers have the right tools under the hood, so they can start using them for more than just data input and output. Once we get there, it’s possible that we’ll see AI in almost every area of science. This isn’t just about understanding our world better; it’s about changing the way we live in it.
The future of AI in scientific research is not yet assured. There are a host of ethical and practical concerns that need to be addressed before AI can be widely adopted. But already, the technology is being used to overcome the limitations once faced by scientists. It’s a technology that has the potential to make significant contributions to scientific research, and we shouldn’t be surprised if it ultimately makes some truly great discoveries.
