Some areas of science, have already started to realise some of those benefits. However, there still remains a large role for the applied AI and scientific communities to play to ensure that the best of class algorithms match up with the impactful scientific problems of our time. Within this theme we feel that some particularly relevant areas for papers would include:
- The combination of machine learning and physics and emergence of physics-aware artificial intelligence (PAI)
- Explainability and uncertainty in AI systems and applications
- The use of machine learning to build powerful, yet trustworthy models for prediction of complex phenomena
- The use of natural language processing and knowledge representation to extract scalable insights from the scientific literature
- The use of generative models to aid creativity and discovery
There is a large appetite in this area for the application of bleeding-edge methods to further push the boundaries of the possible, and we would strongly encourage papers which are the result of the collaboration of domain specialists and those whose major expertise is in the development of AI methodologies.
As we have stated throughout this editorial, a key metric of success is uptake beyond the initial method development. We, therefore, encourage labs, both academic and industrial, to submit papers demonstrating the real-world improvements which have been garnered through the application of AI to their mission-critical problems.
Our attitude to Publishing
Openness
Applied AI Letters is launched with a commitment to openness in the scientific and publishing process. Where possible and where appropriate, we want to give authors the ability to share their research as widely and as transparently as possible.
To that end, Applied AI Letters will be an open access journal, giving free and immediate access to critical research to all who want to read it. This greatly increases the reach and impact of the journal and ensures that our authors are able to share their work with the widest possible audience. Without the need to pay for a license, we are hopeful that our readership will include many in the industrial world who are often locked out of current research. We particularly envision those working in the diverse world of AI start-ups, who have often lacked a venue to prove their technology in a scientific manner, and to distinguish themselves from the unfortunate amount 'vapour ware' which infects this market.
Our commitment to openness extends beyond open access publishing of articles. We know that it will not be possible for all our authors to share their data. However, we do ask that authors publish a data availability statement with their paper to indicate whether the data associated with their article is freely available online.
A core offering of Applied AI Letters is the integrated preprint server. At the point of submission, authors are asked whether they would like to simultaneously upload their manuscript to the Applied AI Letters preprint collection. In doing so, authors are able to gain all the benefits of preprinting including a DOI and, in the event of acceptance, linking with the final published article.
The interpretation and implementation of openness in research is sure to change over time. As we begin our journey, we are constantly looking for the best ways to meet the needs of our authors and readers. We welcome feedback and ideas: we want to hear from our community. We do not seek to enforce a philosophy but rather to engage in an ongoing conversation.
Rapid Publication
Aligned with a future-looking mindset on openness, we also commit to offering authors a peer review and publication experience defined by ease and speed. As indicated by the title, the journal will publish primarily short-format letters. This decision was made to decrease the burden on authors, reviewers and readers. At every stage of the process, from writing to reviewing, revising, proofing and even reading, we hope that the shorter format will engender a more rapid turnaround. As we have previously stated, a core element of Applied AI Letters is its preprint server, which allows visibility at the point of submission, and a DOI which will track with the manuscript through the whole publication journey - improving your ability to track and metric your articles.
Fostering Fairness and Diversity
What white male editors could say about fairness and diversity? But we fundamentally believe that diversity enhances excellence and innovation. Including diverse individuals who are also different thinkers because of their cultures, experiences, and backgrounds dramatically increases the breadth and depth of knowledge. Our goal at Applied AI Letters will be to foster a culture of prioritizing and sustaining inclusion at all levels and facets. We will actively identify people who are diverse scholars or engaged professionally in advocating diversity and ask them for the names of others they know personally or know of who have diverse backgrounds.
Conclusion
AI has the potential to revolutionise many areas of research. At Applied AI Letters, we aim to be a world leading venue for the demonstration of, and dissusion about, the application of cutting edge AI technologies to the most impactful problems of today. We belive that openness, fairness and diversity are key to delivering on this promise, and want to foster a culture which embraces these key principles. With Applied AI evolving at such a rapid rate, we appreciate that speed is important for the timely communication of your breakthroughs, but we also recognise that this must not come at the expense of rigourous peer review. Combining all of this may seem a lofty goal, but we believe that we, as both an editorial board and as a community of researchers, are up to the task. We look forward to receiving your papers for many years to come.