Global media coverage of artificial intelligence (AI) has recently exploded, but CERN’s excellence in the field can be traced as far back as 1987. However, the fast-evolving nature of AI makes it essential for the whole CERN community to develop the skills needed to use it competently, safely and ethically. The CERN AI Steering Committee (CAISC) was therefore set up in April 2025 to define a strategy and supporting governance structure that will promote a coherent and collaborative approach to AI across the Organization. CAISC, which incorporates many pre-existing CERN AI initiatives and strategies, presented its initial proposals in June during Council week.

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics emphasised how AI is carving out new routes to groundbreaking scientific discoveries, highlighting the strong relationship between physics and AI. Research at CERN has reflected this relationship, with AI currently being integrated into data processing, event simulations and numerous other processes including improved triggers for the HL-LHC and accelerator controls. CERN’s AI research is also impacting wider society through projects such as CAFEIN^TM. Initially developed to detect accelerator anomalies, CAFEIN^TM is now used to diagnose and predict brain pathologies, improving outcomes for stroke patients across Europe.

As the technological demands of particle physics research increase with the HL-LHC and beyond, the benefits of using AI are only likely to grow. A plethora of potential uses exists across the Organization, including large-scale software, device integration, commercial products and CERN-developed innovations. To avoid unnecessary duplication of effort, CAISC aims to engage experts and foster communication and collaboration, helping CERN to identify common AI activities, tools and infrastructure needs.

Wider adoption of the technology will also introduce new risks alongside its benefits, with some, such as data privacy, already being mitigated. To continue to address these challenges, CAISC plans to run an AI awareness campaign, identify training requirements and develop a new CERN policy for AI usage.

CERN’s unique environment and proven AI track record give the Organization a fantastic opportunity to shape the future of open, ethical AI driven by high-energy physics. Equipping tomorrow’s physicists and engineers with world-leading AI skills will play a vital role in sustaining CERN’s scientific excellence and talent pipeline. Efforts towards these goals will be outlined in an initial proposal for a unified CERN-wide AI strategy planned for the end of 2025. Built on strategies already independently produced by various sectors across CERN, this strategy will be firmly rooted in the Organization’s core values and evolve alongside European and Member State initiatives. CERN’s intelligent approach to artificial intelligence is under way.

CERN project wins AI for Good award Congratulations to the CAFEINTM project, which won an Innovate for Impact in Healthcare Award at the AI for Good Summit for its application to the TRUSTroke and UMBRELLA projects. CAFEINTM uses a decentralised and secure approach to train machine-learning algorithms without exchanging confidential data. This technology transfer from accelerators to healthcare was initiated thanks to seed funding from CERN’s medical applications budget and developed using solely external funds. The improved model will now efficiently and sustainably support CERN accelerator operations and research.