AI & basic sciences

The global artificial intelligence community gathers in Shanghai for the 2026 World Al Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global Al Governance, bringing together top minds in science, policy and industry. The forum looks at where Al is headed next and the role of global governance of Al, which is now lagging much behind the development of technologies. AI is changing science. How is it conducted, what questions scientists can ask and how quickly discoveries can benefit society? I talked to Professor Omar Yaghi, the 2025 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry who is one of the world's foremost chemists and material scientists.