3 Questions: On the future of AI and the mathematical and physical sciences

Professor Jesse Thaler describes a vision for a two-way bridge between artificial intelligence and the mathematical and physical sciences — one that promises to advance both. Laboratory for Nuclear Science Publication Date: March 11, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact: Scott Morley Email: morley@mit.edu Phone: 617-253-4852 Laboratory for Nuclear Science Close Caption: Scientists in the mathematical and physical sciences have been strategizing about how AI can help shape their fields — and vice versa. Credits: Image: Marisa LeFleur Caption: AI+MPS Workshop attendees discus the day’s proceedings at a reception. Credits: Photo: Marisa LaFleur Previous image Next image Curiosity-driven research has long sparked technological transformations. A century ago, curiosity about atoms led to quantum mechanics, and eventually the transistor at the heart of modern computing. Conversely, the steam engine was a practical breakthrough, but it took fundamental research in thermodynamics to fully harness its power. Today, artificial intelligence and science find themselves at a similar inflection point. The current AI revolution has been fueled by decades of research in the mathematical and physical sciences (MPS), which provided the challenging problems, datasets, and insights that made modern AI possible. The 2024 Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry, recognizing foundational AI methods rooted in physics and AI applications for protein design, made this connection impossible to miss.In 2...