Our new independent theory research group, led by Mario Krenn (founded in September 2021), investigates how new artificial intelligence (AI) can make conceptual advances in physics, particularly quantum physics and quantum optics.

We are excited about the potential of artificial intelligence-inspired and -augmented science, and how we can use algorithms in a more “creative” way. We are convinced that the application of AI in science is not a mere technical question but touches the foundations of science. Thus, in order to make progress, it will be important to learn what humans mean by crucial scientific concepts such as surprising, creativity or understanding. 

Concretely, we are developing AI-based tools for the design of new quantum experiments and hardware. Beyond the immediate interest in the designs themselves, the main goal is to understand the underlying concepts and ideas discovered by the machine to solve specific questions. We also build autonomously semantic network from scientific publications, and use machine learning to predict and suggest personalized future research questions and ideas. In that sense, we use the machine as a source of inspiration to accelerate scientific progress. Our research has recently been summarized in Scientific American.