Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help promote the development of material science and accelerate the invention of new materials, according to Chinese experts.

Many key and core technologies that need breakthroughs in China are related to the material science, and AI could help in these areas, Zhao Zhongxian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who won China's top science award, said at a science forum opened in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, Monday.

Traditional methods for material composition analysis are time-consuming and expensive. It takes an average of 10 years for a laboratory to develop new materials and 20 years for mass production. With AI technology, the development and application cycle of new materials is expected to be shortened by more than half.

Wang Weihua from the Institute of Physics under CAS said AI is changing the way new materials are discovered. Through machine learning of material data, AI could outperform many material scientists and make a more efficient prediction of new materials.

The fast development of AI also needs support from the material science. With emerging intelligent robots, wearable medical devices and IoT systems, future smart sensors will require good sensitivity, flexibility and stability, which puts new demands on materials.

AI and material science are closely related, and material research could offer a solution for AI-related sensitive components, Zhao said.

(Top image via VCG)