Mind Over Matter: Artificial Intelligence Can Slash The Time Needed To Develop New Materials

The convergence of mind and matter, of digital and physical technologies lies at the heart of the fourth industrial revolution. The marriage of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and materials science represents one of the clearest examples. Pure digital innovation has attracted the greatest attention--and a large share of financial investment--over the last several years. But we live in a material world, where the quality of our lives depends on improvements in physical products and services: food and shelter, health care, transportation, energy. True, we spend a lot more time in our online virtual worlds; but this is mirrored by a growing number of Amazon packages at our doorsteps.