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closed-loop discovery
also closed-loop scientific discovery or autonomous closed-loop discovery
Definition of closed-loop discovery
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: a scientific research process in which an AI or automated system uses the results of one experiment to select or design the next, repeatedly cycling through prediction, execution, measurement, and model updating
- The materials lab used closed-loop discovery to choose a compound, synthesize it robotically, measure its properties, and refine the next prediction.
- Closed-loop discovery reduced the number of experiments needed to find a promising battery material.
Two meanings, one word
In everyday English
A closed loop is a process in which results are fed back into the system to guide what happens next.
In AI
A scientific research process in which an AI or automated system uses the results of one experiment to select or design the next, repeatedly cycling through prediction…
Origin & history
The phrase was in research use by 2019 in drug and materials discovery, where scientists described linking machine-learning design, automated synthesis and testing, and experimental feedback in a repeated cycle. In 2026, the Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of Science used the phrase 'autonomous, closed-loop discovery' in a declaration endorsed by 17 countries.
Test yourself
Which of these is the meaning of closed-loop discovery?
Cite this entry
"Closed-loop discovery." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/closed-loop-discovery/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.