We hosted our annual symposium on April 15–16, 2025, at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) in Urbana, Illinois and on Zoom on the theme “AI Scientists? What Would It Take?”. This two-day event attracted almost 100 registrants, and brought together at least 80 attendees—to delve into the evolving role of artificial intelligence in small-molecule chemistry and materials science.
The symposium featured three thematic sessions:
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Foundational AI: Exploring the current state and future directions of AI in scientific research.
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Small Molecule Discovery and Development: Discussing AI’s impact on small molecule innovation.
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Materials Discovery and Development: Examining the integration of AI agents in laboratory settings.
Our speakers were from academic institutions, national lab and industry. Their presentations sparked engaging discussions on the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of AI and scientific discovery.