Artificial intelligence for science – adoption trends and future development pathways

This paper aims to inform researchers and research organisations within the spheres of government, industry, community and academia seeking to develop improved AI capabilities. The paper is focused on the use of AI for science, and it describes AI adoption trends in the physical, natural and social science fields. Using a bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed publishing trends over 63 years (1960–2022), the paper demonstrates a surge in AI adoption across all fields over the past several years. The paper examines future development pathways and explores implications for science organisations.