Building the materials foundation for AI

As AI pushes semiconductors and data centers toward new physical limits, advanced materials are becoming critical to performance, efficiency, and sustainability, says Mike Finelli, chief technology and innovation officer and chief North America officer at Syensqo.

The AI boom is becoming a materials challenge. As AI pushes computing into new territory, the materials behind that infrastructure are becoming just as crucial as the algorithms running on it. Semiconductors and data centers are approaching physical limits around performance, thermal management, electrical efficiency, and reliability, creating new demands for materials that can do more at once. At the same time, AI is giving materials scientists new ways to search the enormous universe of possible molecules and accelerate the development of solutions.