AI-aided research, new materials eyed for Nobel Chemistry Prize [Video]

The development of new compounds and science aided by artificial intelligence are some of the research fields commentators say could be contenders for the Nobel Chemistry Prize announced Wednesday.

The winner or winners of the prestigious award will be unveiled by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm from 11:45 am (0945 GMT).

The chemistry prize follows the physics prize, which on Tuesday honoured American John Hopfield and Canadian-Brit Geoffrey Hinton for key breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI).

While the AI duo was not among the top names mentioned ahead of the physics prize, some pundits have speculated the technology may also feature in the chemistry prize.

Google DeepMind’s director John Jumper and CEO and co-founder Demis Hassabis — who were honoured with the prestigious Lasker Award in 2023 — could win for their work on the AI-model Alphafold.

The AI tool is used to predict the three-dimensional structure …