AI Poised to Transform Fundamental Physics, States Cern’s Future Director

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Advanced artificial intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize fundamental physics and enhance our understanding of the universe, according to Prof. Mark Thomson, Cern's upcoming director general. Thomson, who will take office on January 1, 2026, highlighted that AI-based techniques could lead to significant breakthroughs in particle physics comparable to the advancements seen in protein structure prediction by Google DeepMind, which won a Nobel Prize in October 2023.

At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), AI is utilized to detect rare events vital for understanding how particles acquire mass after the Big Bang. Thomson noted that a major upgrade scheduled for 2030 will increase the LHC's beam intensity tenfold, facilitating unprecedented observations of the Higgs boson, the particle essential for mass. This research aims to measure Higgs self-coupling, a phenomenon that could illuminate pivotal aspects of the universe's stability.

Despite skepticism surrounding the proposed Future Circular Collider, Thomson remains optimistic about AI's role in discovering new physics beyond existing theories. "These are very, very, very big improvements," he asserted, emphasizing the transformative potential of AI in the field.

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