Report assesses impact of artificial intelligence on science

A world-first report from Australia's science agency, CSIRO, has found that scientists are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) at an unprecedented rate. Analysing the impact of AI on scientific discovery, 'Artificial intelligence for science' draws insight from millions of peer-reviewed scientific papers published over 63 years and identifies key issues ahead for the sector. The report found that artificial intelligence is now implemented in 98 per cent of scientific fields, and by September 2022 approximately 5.7% of all peer-reviewed research worldwide was on the topic. "AI is no longer just the domain of computer scientists or mathematicians; it is now a significant enabling force across all fields of science, which is something we live every day at CSIRO, where digital technologies are accelerating the pace and scale of our research in fields ranging from agriculture to energy to manufacturing and beyond," says CSIRO Chief Scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox. The report uses a bibliometric analysis – statistical methods analysing trends in peer-reviewed research – to determine what percentage of the 333 research fields studied were publishing on artificial intelligence between 1960-2022. Analysing all disciplines of natural science, physical science, social science and the arts and humanities, the report found that only 14% of fields were publishing on artificial intelligence in 1960.