Cornell University is embarking on a groundbreaking venture to expand the boundaries of science by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI). With an $11.3 million grant from the Office of Naval Research, Cornell is establishing the Scientific Artificial Intelligence Center (SciAI Center) to facilitate human-AI collaboration using mathematics as a universal language. The researchers at the center aim to leverage AI to aid in fundamental scientific discoveries that will have a profound impact on the world.
Heading the SciAI Center is Christopher J. Earls, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Cornell’s College of Engineering. The co-investigators include Alex Townsend, an associate professor of mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences; Anil Damle, an assistant professor of computer science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science; and Nikolaos Bouklas, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.
As AI systems become more complex, there is growing concern among academics that their inner workings may lack transparency, making it difficult to understand how these systems can effectively identify patterns in data and make scientific predictions. Earls refers to this as a divergence from the principles of scientific discovery.
Scientific theories provide explanatory narratives that offer mechanistic insights into the workings of the universe. These theories not only explain observed phenomena but also make predictions about what is yet to be observed. AI, as it stands, falls short in its ability to achieve such extrapolatory power. Thus, the SciAI Center aims to develop cutting-edge AI approaches that will revolutionize scientific discovery.
The SciAI Center will use mathematics as a common language to bridge the gap between humans and machines. Townsend emphasizes that mathematics has been the language through which scientists have represented the world for centuries. Instead of training AI to predict the future based on data from physical systems, the researchers will enable AI to communicate through calculus, deriving the underlying differential equations governing different phenomena. The goal is to create an AI-human partnership that acts as a science teacher, unearthing patterns in the natural world.
The center will focus on four key areas of research: scientific data, operator learning, closure models, and complex systems. Materials, turbulence, and autonomy will be the three primary application areas of their investigations. By combining machine learning techniques with physics-informed algorithms, the researchers aim to enhance computational methods and gain a deeper understanding of materials and molecular systems.
Cornell University’s commitment to interdisciplinary study makes it an ideal location for the SciAI Center. The center will not only strive for scientific research excellence but also promote inclusivity by offering underrepresented groups in science and engineering access to state-of-the-art AI capabilities. Additionally, the center will provide various student pathway programs aimed at training young researchers to work in emerging companies.
The SciAI Center will collaborate with leading institutions such as the United States Naval Academy, the University of California, Santa Cruz, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, Brown University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Integer Technologies.
With its dedication to pushing the frontiers of science using AI, the SciAI Center at Cornell University is poised to make groundbreaking contributions to scientific discovery. The center’s interdisciplinary approach, focus on mathematical language, and commitment to inclusivity ensure that its findings will have a far-reaching and transformative impact on the scientific community and society as a whole. Through innovative AI approaches, Cornell researchers are set to redefine the limits of scientific exploration and uncover new insights into the natural world.
