AI is helping materials scientists home in on promising new materials

AI and automation are speeding up science and chemistry by helping scientists pick which experiments to conduct and home in on promising new materials. Why it matters: There's pressure on these fields to produce new materials faster and cheaper to support and power technologies that could transform industries and economies. The big picture: New materials and molecules are needed for the batteries, drugs and semiconductors envisioned to underpin a green grid, precise medicine, and the next generation of computing and communications. What's happening: It can take decades to get a new material to market in a process that involves an almost "artisanal science," Isayev says. Zoom in: In a new study, researchers combined machine learning, theories and calculations of physical properties and experiments to identify new alloys.