No coding required: Companies make it easier than ever for scientists to use artificial intelligence

A machine learning tool called Northstar lets users play with data visually. Yang-Hui He, a mathematical physicist at the University of London, is an expert in string theory, one of the most abstruse areas of physics. But when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, he was naïve. "What is this thing everyone is talking about?" he recalls thinking. Then his go-to software program, Mathematica, added machine learning tools that were ready to use, no expertise required.