AI for Scientific Discovery: Proceedings of a Workshop (2024)
Chapter: 1 Introduction
1
Introduction
On October 12–13, 2023, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) hosted AI for Scientific Discovery – A Workshop. The goals of the workshop were to explore the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in terms of its role as an autonomous researcher carrying out discovery, build international collaboration among AI experts, and reveal funding opportunities for future research endeavors. The topics covered in the workshop included where AI stands now and where it needs to go as well as the ethical aspects of AI used for independent scientific discovery and potential pitfalls that loom for AI scientists.
Workshop chair Bradley Malin (Vanderbilt University) opened the workshop by posing questions on the future of AI and the ethics of its use for scientific discovery. Next, the president of the National Academy of Medicine, Victor Dzau, welcomed the audience and highlighted the importance of understanding how AI will be utilized for science moving forward.
This Proceedings of a Workshop was prepared by the workshop rapporteur as a factual summary of what was presented and discussed at the workshop. The planning committee’s role was limited to planning and convening the workshop. The statements made are those of the rapporteur and do not necessarily represent the positions of the workshop participants as a whole, the planning committee, or the National Academies.
