How is AI changing your scientific field? Researchers from all disciplines are invited to submit essays. The best submissions will be published and awarded a total of €16,000. Whether in molecular biology, climate research, literary studies, or archaeology—virtually every field of science is affected by the rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI). Models that were still considered experimental just a few years ago have now become indispensable tools.
The OeAW invites researchers from all disciplines to share their perspectives: What does AI mean for the methodology, creativity, and theoretical foundations of your field? What opportunities does it present, and what are its limitations? The competition is open to individuals and groups; submissions may be written in either German or English. Essays with references, subject to a limit of 10,000–15,000 characters (including spaces) may be submitted until 30 April 2026. An interdisciplinary jury will select the best entries, awarding €8,000 for first place, €6,000 for second place, and €2,000 for third place. With this prize question, the OeAW continues a more than 250-year-old tradition in which academies have sought answers to the pressing challenges of their time.