AI not only writes poetry and proposes meal plans, but also brings new possibilities for knowing about science and the world.
Scientists can decipher electrons, create new materials, and even “talk” to trees. Genetic AI tools speed up the pace of discovery and unleash insights into everything from cells in our body to the ecosystems that maintain them.
“Scientific discoveries are one of the most important applications of AI,” says Dr. Peter Lee, head of Microsoft Research. “We believe that the ability of generator AI to learn human language is equally consistent with the ability to learn natural languages, such as molecules, crystals, genomes, and proteins.”
In the first half of 2025, Microsoft published numerous research papers in peer-reviewed journals, introducing new tools and collaborations in areas such as medicine, energy, biology, and quantum physics. Goal: To accelerate the way scientists explore complex questions and use powerful, practical and reliable AI to translate their results into real impacts, says Lee.
Here are five areas where AI is already making concrete differences, and five areas where the next breakthrough may be right in the vicinity.
