AI is a strategic tool to improve scientific research

The Commission publishes today “A European Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Science Paving the way for the Resource for AI Science in Europe (RAISE)” to accelerate the adoption of AI by European scientists in all disciplines. 

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) report “Role of Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Research - A Science for Policy, European Perspective” accompanies the Strategy, providing a detailed analysis on the use of AI in the scientific process and the landscape of AI in science. This report helps policymakers develop informed policies to unlock AI’s full potential for EU research and paves the way for informed investment decisions. 

The JRC will lead the future AI Evaluation Hub, announced in the Strategy, to monitor and evaluate AI models and systems in strategic scientific fields. 

The EU has the biggest share of AI research players 

The JRC studied the global distribution of AI players, including research institutes, government bodies and firms publishing scientific articles, filing for priority patents or having their core business in AI activities.  

Until 2024, two in five global AI players had at least one research and innovation (R&I) activity, (i.e. had filed for a patent on AI or published a scientific article on the topic). The JRC finds that among the AI players with research activities, the EU has the biggest share of AI research players (13%, US 4%, China 1%). 

Accelerating the adoption of AI tools in research 

To accelerate the uptake of AI in science, the JRC stresses the need for shared infrastructures and open science to ensure reproducibility, wider access, and trustworthiness.  

While AI models are becoming more powerful and versatile, they also require significant resources for training and deployment. This makes investment in High-Performance Computing (HPC), AI Factories (ecosystems that foster innovation and collaboration) and open scientific data repositories essential to secure EU's position as a leader in AI research. 

A larger use of AI in science would generate new requirements for specialised expertise among researchers. The JRC assessment on skills shows the need for “hybrid” (multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary) teams that combine expertise in engineering, computer sciences and AI with specific domain expertise. Policies should therefore focus on attracting, developing and retaining this interdisciplinary talent to ensure that human expertise remains central to the research process. 

AI is reshaping scientific research 

Researchers use AI to enhance search and discovery in science, leveraging its context-aware and semantic search capabilities to generate answers based on search results.  

The JRC report finds that scientists employ AI tools in varied fields, tasks and disciplines, from engineering to life sciences and humanities to drive real, applicable innovations. This includes using AI tools to analyse proteins more efficiently in life-science research, an AI application proven particularly successful in medicine like more effective drug discovery. 

Background

Drawing on deep dives into AI technology for protein structure prediction, material discovery and computational humanities, JRC report showcases how AI is accelerating innovation and strengthening EU research.  

Opportunities are emerging across the full scientific process, from data analysis to the generation of novel research hypotheses. By assessing their potential and impact, the report gathers invaluable insights to guide investments in crucial areas such as high-performance computing and open-science infrastructure. This research can thereby boost EU competitiveness at global leve

The EU Competitiveness compass, published in January 2025, and the Clean Industrial Deal, published in February 2025, emphasise the importance of circular economy in creating a more sustainable, resilient and competitive European industrial sector, that in turn supports the EU's climate goals, while promoting more efficient technologies and job creation.

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See also: AI in Science – Disaster Risk Management.

Related link

Press release - Commission launches two strategies to speed up AI uptake in European industry and science