The University of Liverpool has revealed plans to build a £100 million AI-focused materials discovery centre by 2031, situated in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter. This project, referred to as the AI Materials Hub for Innovation (Aim-Hi), is poised to serve as a national flagship establishment aimed at advancing the application of AI in materials chemistry. The 9350m² centre will include versatile laboratory environments and an innovation incubator, potentially creating or supporting up to 900 jobs throughout the UK and generating over £400 million.
Matthew Rosseinsky, an inorganic chemist at the University, highlights the essential function of new materials in addressing modern issues. He asserts that AI can significantly speed up and improve this endeavor by offering sophisticated tools that will assist chemists, physicists, and materials scientists in achieving breakthroughs.
Aim-Hi builds upon the achievements of the Materials Innovation Factory, also at the University of Liverpool, which was launched in 2018 in collaboration with Unilever. This previous initiative has already garnered over £120 million in competitive grant funding. Rosseinsky underscores the necessity for extensive cooperation, involving industrial and academic partners, to realize the ambitious objectives of Aim-Hi.
There exists a range of views regarding the role of AI in materials discovery, with some cautious about possible overinflation. Nevertheless, Rosseinsky notes that while chemistry is not merely a subset of AI, promising evidence indicates that AI, alongside robotics, is significantly influencing the field, such as through autonomous workflows for identifying new catalysts and products.
AI’s capability to navigate the extensive chemical landscape relies on partnerships with human researchers. While AI excels in interpolating within known chemistry, human knowledge is vital for the extrapolative tasks of pinpointing new materials. As AI begins to facilitate functions previously out of reach, demonstrating its value in accessing new materials is essential.
Rosseinsky emphasizes the significance of the UK taking the lead in this progression to enjoy the advantages, as other countries could potentially outpace by addressing key questions more promptly.