AI and the future of physics
03/24/25 • 63 min
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Artificial intelligence is transforming physics at an unprecedented pace. In the latest episode of Physics World Stories, host Andrew Glester is joined by three expert guests to explore AI’s impact on discovery, research and the future of the field.
Tony Hey, a physicist who worked with Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann at Caltech in the 1970s, shares his perspective on AI’s role in computation and discovery. A former vice-president of Microsoft Research Connections, he also edited the Feynman Lectures on Computation (Anniversary Edition), a key text on physics and computing.
Caterina Doglioni, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester and part of CERN’s ATLAS collaboration, explains how AI is unlocking new physics at the Large Hadron Collider. She sees big potential but warns against relying too much on AI’s “black box” models without truly understanding nature’s behaviour.
Felice Frankel, a science photographer and MIT research scientist, discusses AI’s promise for visualizing science. However, she is concerned about its potential to manipulate scientific data and imagery – distorting reality. Frankel wrote about the need for an ethical code of conduct for AI in science imagery in this recent Nature essay.
The episode also questions the environmental cost of AI’s vast energy demands. As AI becomes central to physics, should researchers worry about its sustainability? What responsibility do physicists have in managing its impact?
Hey and Doglioni were advisers for the IOP report Physics and AI: A Physics Community Perspective, which explores the opportunities and challenges at the intersection of AI and physics.
Listen now for a lively discussion on AI’s evolving role in physics.
Artificial intelligence is transforming physics at an unprecedented pace. In the latest episode of Physics World Stories, host Andrew Glester is joined by three expert guests to explore AI’s impact on discovery, research and the future of the field.
Tony Hey, a physicist who worked with Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann at Caltech in the 1970s, shares his perspective on AI’s role in computation and discovery. A former vice-president of Microsoft Research Connections, he also edited the Feynman Lectures on Computation (Anniversary Edition), a key text on physics and computing.
Caterina Doglioni, a particle physicist at the University of Manchester and part of CERN’s ATLAS collaboration, explains how AI is unlocking new physics at the Large Hadron Collider. She sees big potential but warns against relying too much on AI’s “black box” models without truly understanding nature’s behaviour.
Felice Frankel, a science photographer and MIT research scientist, discusses AI’s promise for visualizing science. However, she is concerned about its potential to manipulate scientific data and imagery – distorting reality. Frankel wrote about the need for an ethical code of conduct for AI in science imagery in this recent Nature essay.
The episode also questions the environmental cost of AI’s vast energy demands. As AI becomes central to physics, should researchers worry about its sustainability? What responsibility do physicists have in managing its impact?
Hey and Doglioni were advisers for the IOP report Physics and AI: A Physics Community Perspective, which explores the opportunities and challenges at the intersection of AI and physics.
Listen now for a lively discussion on AI’s evolving role in physics.
Previous Episode
Threads of fire: uncovering volcanic secrets with Pele’s hair and tears
Volcanoes are awe-inspiring beasts. They spew molten rivers, towering ash plumes, and – in rarer cases – delicate glassy formations known as Pele’s hair and Pele’s tears. These volcanic materials, named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire, are the focus of the latest Physics World Stories podcast, featuring volcanologists Kenna Rubin (University of Rhode Island) and Tamsin Mather (University of Oxford).
Pele’s hair is striking: fine, golden filaments of volcanic glass that shimmer like spider silk in the sunlight. Formed when lava is ejected explosively and rapidly stretched into thin strands, these fragile fibres range from 1 to 300 μm thick – similar to human hair. Meanwhile, Pele’s tears – small, smooth droplets of solidified lava – can preserve tiny bubbles of volcanic gases within themselves, trapped in cavities.
These materials are more than just geological curiosities. By studying their structure and chemistry, researchers can infer crucial details about past eruptions. Understanding these “fossil” samples provides insights into the history of volcanic activity and its role in shaping planetary environments.
Rubin and Mather describe what it’s like working in extreme volcanic landscapes. One day, you might be near the molten slopes of active craters, and then on another trip you could be exploring the murky depths of underwater eruptions via deep-sea research submersibles like Alvin.
For a deeper dive into Pele’s hair and tears, listen to the podcast and explore our recent Physics World feature on the subject.
Next Episode
Alternate quantum realities: what if Heisenberg stayed at home?
In this episode of Physics World Stories , writer Kevlin Henney discusses his new flash fiction, Heisenberg (not) in Helgoland – written exclusively for Physics World as part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The story spans two worlds: the one we know, and an alternate reality in which Werner Heisenberg never visits the island of Helgoland – a trip that played a key role in the development of quantum theory.
Henney reads an extract from the piece and reflects on the power of flash fiction – why the format’s brevity and clarity make it an interesting space for exploring complex ideas. In conversation with host Andrew Glester, he also discusses his varied career as an independent software consultant, trainer and writer. Tune in to hear his thoughts on quantum computing, and why there should be greater appreciation for how modern physics underpins the technologies we use every day.
The full version of Henney’s story will be published in the Physics World Quantum Briefing 2025 – a free-to-read digital issue launching in May. Packed with features on the history, mystery and applications of quantum mechanics, it will be available via the Physics World website.
The image accompanying this article is Werner Heisenberg in 1933 (Credit: German Federal Archive with posterised version by James Dacey/Physics World) CC-BY-SA 3.0
On 13–14 May, The Economist is hosting Commercialising Quantum Global 2025 in London. The event is supported by the Institute of Physics – which brings you Physics World. Participants will join global leaders from business, science and policy for two days of real-world insights into quantum’s future. In London you will explore breakthroughs in quantum computing, communications and sensing, and discover how these technologies are shaping industries, economies and global regulation. Register now and use code QUANTUM20 to receive 20% off. This offer ends on 4 May.
Physics World Stories Podcast - AI and the future of physics
Transcript
Hello, and welcome to the Physics World Stories podcast. I'm Andrew Glester. And in this episode, we're diving into a topic that is revolutionizing physics itself, artificial intelligence.
AI is transforming our world and becoming part of our day to day, but what about physics? What happens when we apply machine learning to the fundamental questions of our universe, and how is AI accelerating discoveries in particle physics? Can it help
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