On Wednesday 10th June, the Centre for Machine Intelligence (CMI), in collaboration with Royce at the University of Sheffield, welcomed Professor Jacqueline Cole from the University of Cambridge for an insightful public lecture exploring the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and materials science.
Professor Cole’s lecture detailed how natural language processing (NLP), including the strategic use of transformer-based approaches, is fundamentally shifting how new materials are discovered. Historically a process reliant on decades of manual laboratory trials, AI is now compressing the discovery cycle down to days by reading and synthesising data from millions of published scientific papers.
During the presentation, Professor Cole highlighted how these advanced AI models have already driven breakthroughs in diverse application areas. Key successes include the discovery of new organic molecules for photovoltaic cells, which crucially dispense with the need for the environmentally costly heavy metals traditionally required in solar technology. She also showcased how AI is accelerating the development of novel materials capable of generating electricity directly from waste heat.
The well-attended event concluded with a lively Q&A session and a networking drinks reception in The Diamond, bringing together students, academic researchers, and industry professionals from across the region.
Thank you to everyone who attended and made the evening a success. Please keep an eye on our website and social channels for announcements regarding our next CMI public lecture, scheduled for this winter.