The End of Trial-and-Error: A Vision for Generative Intelligence in Metamaterial Design
Published in ICDMW, 2025
Metamaterials, engineered materials with programmable structure-property relationships, have revolutionized fields from aerospace to biomedicine. Yet discovery remains dominated by costly simulations, sparse data, and trial-and-error experimentation. In this Blue Sky paper, we envision a future where generative intelligence replaces brute-force design with autonomous, data-driven exploration. We argue that the convergence of generative models, physical priors, and multi-objective reasoning marks the beginning of the end of trial-and-error in metamaterial innovation. This vision challenges the data mining community to move beyond traditional modalities and embrace new frontiers in scientific AI, where the goal is not just to predict but to invent.