Artificial intelligence is poised to change not just how we work, but potentially how we make new scientific discoveries. Most of us know AI as a chatbot: ask a question, get an answer. A new generation of tools, known as AI co-scientists, promises something far more profound. These systems can work alongside researchers as genuine collaborators, reading vast bodies of scientific literature, forming and testing hypotheses, running their own analyses, and compressing work that once took months into a matter of days.
This seminar explores the rise of the AI co-scientist and what it could mean for the future of scientific discovery. Could AI help us find new uses for existing medicines, surface patterns hidden in massive datasets, and uncover the insights no one has yet identified? How does the role of the scientist change when AI becomes a research partner, and what must we get right around trust, validation, and responsible use?
Join Dr Emerson Keenan for a deep dive into one of the most exciting frontiers in science today, and what it could mean for researchers, clinicians and patients.
This event is hosted by the Centre for Digital Transformation of Health as part of their Making Digital Health Real Seminar series.
Dr Emerson Keenan
Senior Research Fellow, Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, University of Melbourne
Dr Emerson Keenan is a biomedical engineer working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, medical devices, and research methods. He is an Honorary Research Fellow within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, and is leading the AI for Research Innovation program within Melbourne Medical School, which is exploring how emerging AI co-scientist tools can help accelerate scientific discovery. Emerson is also co-founder and CEO of Kali Healthcare, a University of Melbourne spin-out developing an AI-powered wearable platform for maternal and fetal monitoring.
