OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is making a significant push into the scientific community with the launch of OpenAI for Science, a new team dedicated to exploring the potential of large language models in scientific research.

The move comes as scientists from various fields, including mathematics, physics, and biology, have been sharing their experiences of using OpenAI’s models, such as GPT-5, to aid in discoveries and solutions.

However, OpenAI is not the first to venture into this space, as Google DeepMind has had an AI-for-science team for years, developing groundbreaking models like AlphaFold and AlphaEvolve.

In an exclusive interview, Kevin Weil, vice president at OpenAI and leader of the new team, discussed the company’s mission and goals for OpenAI for Science.

Weil, a former scientist himself, having pursued a PhD in particle physics at Stanford University, emphasized the importance of this new initiative, stating that he initially thought he would become a physics professor but instead joined the tech industry.