Artificial intelligence drives science with more organised and accessible scientific data
Science publisher Frontiers launches FAIR², an innovative system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise the management of scientific data, making it easier to access, organise and reuse.
FAIR² not only benefits researchers by saving them time, but also prepares data for use by machines, accelerating advances in health, sustainability and innovation.
Frontiers is offering researchers the opportunity to try FAIR² free of charge, with limited places available.
As part of Open Data Day 2025, Frontiers has unveiled FAIR² (FAIR Squared™), an innovative system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise scientific data management. This project, developed in collaboration with Senscience, aims to facilitate the access, organisation and reuse of research data for both humans and machines, thus accelerating advances in fields such as global health, sustainability and scientific innovation.
Today’s challenge: fragmented data and wasted time
Currently, a large amount of scientific data is lost or underutilised due to lack of structure and accessibility. Researchers spend considerable time preparing and organising data, limiting their ability to focus on analysis and discovery. In addition, funders are increasingly demanding that data be open and reusable, adding pressure on scientists to meet these standards.
‘Too much valuable scientific data is lost before it can drive new discoveries,’ says Dr Sean Hill, co-founder of Senscience, the company behind the AI technology that powers FAIR². “AI-powered data management helps researchers maximise their impact, ensuring that data is ready to fuel the next breakthrough,” he adds.
The solution: FAIR², a framework for AI-ready data
FAIR² builds on the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, extending them to suit the needs of the AI era. ‘It’s not enough for data to be open; it must be well organised, reusable and impactful,’ says Dr. Kamila Markram, co-founder and CEO of Frontiers. ‘FAIR² transforms data into a tool for discovery, addressing urgent challenges in global health, sustainability and other fields of knowledge.’
The system uses AI to structure the data, adding context-rich metadata and ensuring compatibility with analytics tools. This allows researchers to share their data easily on open data platforms, amplifying its global impact.
A practical example: marine biodiversity
The potential of FAIR² is evident in real projects. A team led by Dr Ángel Borja, from the AZTI technology centre, has used FAIR² to organise almost three decades of data on marine biodiversity in the Basque Country, collected for the Basque Water Agency (URA), in the first article published on this topic in the journal Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability. ‘AI-assisted management is a paradigm shift,’ says Borja. ‘Creating metadata through AI makes ocean sustainability research much more accessible, providing scientists, managers and decision-makers with information quickly and accurately.’
In addition, the FAIR² Data Portal offers advanced features such as AI chat, interactive data exploration and an AI-generated podcast, allowing researchers to interact with their data in innovative ways.
A framework for open and responsible science
‘Open science must go beyond the principles of implementation, structure and governance,’ stresses data science expert Professor Barend Mons. ‘FAIR² provides the framework for AI-ready, context-rich and responsibly governed data, ensuring informed reuse.’
Invitation to the scientific community
Frontiers invites researchers to join the FAIR² project free of charge, with limited places available. This initiative offers scientists the opportunity to transform their data into AI-ready resources, increasing their visibility and accelerating their research through simplified data curation.
