On November 13, 2025, CERN’s Enlargement Directorate formally approved an organization-wide comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) strategy that integrates numerous existing initiatives across all sectors. The strategy establishes guidance and a vision for the future centered around four core goals: advancing scientific discovery, increasing productivity and reliability, fostering talent development, and enabling scalable AI implementation through strategic partnerships. The plan aims to transform particle physics analysis and recognize the now fundamental role of AI in penetrating operational capabilities, integrate sector-specific implementations, foster shared tools and experiences, secure joint funding through programs such as the EU, and ensure that CERN leverages AI for current and future accelerator projects, including HL-LHC.
Transforming particle physics with AI
Artificial intelligence has surpassed its experimental status and become completely important to modern particle physics. Thirty years ago, the first attempts to use neural networks, while promising, were met with skepticism. Machine learning techniques are now essential to data analysis at facilities like CERN, impacting everything from reconstructing events to identifying signals in the large datasets generated by experiments. This is more than just automation. AI algorithms are now routinely outperforming traditional methods on tasks such as identifying rare particle decays, increasing measurement accuracy by up to 10 times.
CERN recently formalized this dependency into a comprehensive, organization-wide AI strategy. This initiative aims to unite disparate AI applications across research, operations, and management under common principles of responsible and effective use. The strategy focuses on four key goals: accelerating scientific discovery, increasing productivity and reliability, developing talent, and enabling scalable AI through partnerships. Importantly, this is not about replacing human scientists, but rather increasing their ability to process the exabyte-scale data expected from the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) and future accelerators.
Its impact extends beyond the immediate research results. CERN’s new strategy emphasizes co-development with Member States, EU programs and industry partners to secure funding and infrastructure for advanced AI capabilities. This push for “AI at scale” will drive intelligent automation, data-driven decision-making, and computational insights essential for future experimentation. Ultimately, the organization sees AI not as a peripheral tool but as a fundamental driver of social progress.
CERN’s new AI strategy across the organization
CERN, the European Agency for Nuclear Research, recently approved a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) strategy across the organization. This was not a sudden change. First explored 30 years ago in experiments such as L3 using neural networks, AI has now become integral to particle physics analysis. Machine learning now permeates all areas at CERN, from core research to operational efficiency. The new strategy formalizes this dependence, acknowledging that AI is no longer an option, but essential to CERN’s continued success.
The strategy is centered around four key goals: advancing scientific discovery, increasing productivity and reliability, attracting and retaining talent, and enabling AI scalability through partnerships. This is not just a matter of introducing an algorithm. It’s a consistent approach that leverages common tools and shared experiences across research, operations, and management. Importantly, CERN intends to work with EU programmes, Member States and industry to accelerate capacity building and secure the necessary funding for AI infrastructure.
Looking to the future, CERN expects increasingly sophisticated AI applications to be important for projects such as the High-Luminosity LHC and future accelerator technologies. The organization envisions a reliance on intelligent automation, data-driven decision-making, and scalable computational insights. This strategic imperative signals a fundamental change. AI is no longer simple. support Although it is a scientific approach, we actively change shape How science is done at CERN and beyond.
Future applications and strategic implementation
CERN’s newly endorsed AI strategy is more than just technology adoption, it’s a fundamental shift in how organizations approach their missions. The strategy builds on existing efforts and prioritizes four core goals: accelerating scientific discovery, improving operational efficiency, developing talent, and maximizing social impact. This unified approach is very important. Applications will vary across research, operations, and management, but shared tools and knowledge will provide significant benefits, especially as the amount of data from the HL-LHC increases rapidly.
This strategy directly addresses the growing demands of future projects. Since the high-luminosity LHC, intelligent automation and data-driven decision-making are no longer optional. CERN expects to rely heavily on AI for tasks such as optimizing detector performance, rapidly analyzing petabytes of collision data, and proactively identifying potential system failures. Strategic partnerships with EU programs and industry are essential to securing the necessary funding and building the computational infrastructure that can handle these workloads.
Importantly, CERN’s AI implementation is not siloed. The strategy emphasizes the responsible and open use of AI and aims to attract and retain skilled talent while positively contributing to society. This includes fostering cooperation with Member States and prioritizing ethical considerations. CERN aims to position itself as a leader in responsible AI innovation within the scientific community by bringing together previously disparate AI efforts, from machine learning in physics analysis to automated management processes.
