Artificial intelligence has become one of the most dynamically developing areas of Latvian science. This is stated in the Latvian Science Council’s review of research and projects in the field of AI from 2018 to 2025. During this period, 142 research projects related to artificial intelligence technology were implemented in the country. Additionally, scientists have produced more than 1,900 scientific publications on the subject. Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence was primarily considered an independent field of research, but now it is increasingly being used as a tool to solve a wide range of scientific challenges. AI has applications in medicine, engineering, agriculture, linguistics, as well as social and humanitarian research. In many projects, it serves as a technology for data analysis and solution discovery rather than for research purposes. One of the largest sources of funding is the Basic and Applied Research Program, which has supported 47 projects. A further 40 projects were carried out by young scientists under the postdoctoral research program. It is important to note that almost a third of all projects in the field of artificial intelligence are carried out by young researchers. This shows that interest in AI is particularly high among the new generation of scientists. The most active participants in this research are the University of Latvia, the Riga University of Technology and the Institute of Computer Science. A total of 19 scientific institutions, companies and organizations from the public and non-governmental sectors are participating in the project. One of the most popular fields remains machine learning. Latvian researchers use it to assess soil conditions, analyze medical data and develop new materials. Some of the practical developments include systems for automated assessment of soil biological status, solutions to improve diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, and techniques for creating more energy-efficient composite materials. At the same time, scientific activity in this field is also growing. If in 2016 publications on artificial intelligence accounted for about 2.5% of all scientific works by Latvian researchers, in 2025 their share will approach 9%. Almost half of such publications are produced through international cooperation. As the review authors point out, this contributes to higher citation rates for research and increases its impact in the global scientific community. Thus, artificial intelligence is gradually becoming not only an independent field of research, but also an important tool for the development of Latvian science in various fields.
