Research Topic Ideas: AI & ML ⚙️

50+ Research ideas in Artifical Intelligence and Machine Learning

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewed By: Dr. Eunice Rautenbach | Updated January 2025

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world, making it one of the most exciting fields for research. But with so much to explore, finding the right AI research topic can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 100+ AI research topics to inspire your dissertation, thesis, or research project.

From machine learning and natural language processing to robotics and ethical AI, this list covers a range of key areas within artificial intelligence. Each topic idea is designed to help you identify a meaningful research gap and craft a compelling study. 

P.S. If you’re new to academic research, be sure to check out Topic Ideation 101, our free webinar which covers the basics of the research topic ideation process.

AI in Healthcare and Medicine

AI is revolutionising healthcare by enabling early detection of diseases, optimising treatment plans, and driving personalised medicine. Below are some impactful AI research topics in this field:

  • Developing AI algorithms for early detection of chronic diseases using patient data.
  • Deep learning in drug discovery and pharmaceutical research.
  • The role of AI in enhancing the accuracy of medical diagnostics.
  • Investigating the role of AI in mental health assessment and therapy.
  • Machine learning techniques in identifying genetic markers for diseases.
  • Machine learning in genomic data analysis for personalised medicine.
  • AI-based solutions for optimising hospital resource allocation and patient flow management.
  • Machine learning algorithms for predicting the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases.
  • AI-driven personal health monitoring tools integrating wearable device data.
  • Developing AI systems for remote surgery assistance.

 

AI in Environmental and Sustainability Applications

AI research is driving innovative solutions to address environmental challenges, from pollution monitoring to wildlife conservation. Here are some exciting research topics:

  • AI in agricultural technology: Optimising crop yield predictions.
  • Developing AI algorithms for effective waste management and recycling.
  • Developing AI tools for real-time monitoring of environmental pollution.
  • Machine learning for improving water quality monitoring and management.
  • AI applications in wildlife conservation and habitat monitoring.
  • Machine learning in seismology for earthquake prediction.
  • AI for analysing satellite imagery to monitor deforestation and illegal logging.
  • Machine learning in forecasting the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
  • AI-driven optimisation of renewable energy grid distribution.
  • Predictive models for urban air quality management using AI.

 

AI in Education and Accessibility

AI research in education is transforming how we learn and making educational content accessible to everyone, regardless of physical abilities. Here are some key research topics:

  • Investigating the impact of machine learning in personalised education systems.
  • The use of AI in developing adaptive learning technologies for disabled students.
  • Developing AI systems for real-time language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing.
  • Investigating the use of AI in enhancing the accessibility of digital content for visually impaired users.
  • AI-powered tutoring systems for self-paced learning.
  • Machine learning algorithms to detect and address learning disabilities early.
  • AI for developing multilingual educational content.
  • AI tools for gamifying education to improve engagement and retention.

 

AI in Business, Finance, and Economics

AI is reshaping business operations, financial systems, and market strategies. These research topics explore its vast applications:

  • AI-driven approaches to improve cybersecurity in financial transactions.
  • The role of AI in optimising supply chain logistics for e-commerce.
  • AI-powered chatbots: Improving customer service efficiency in retail.
  • The effectiveness of ML in financial market prediction and analysis.
  • AI-driven personal finance management tools.
  • AI-driven algorithms for credit scoring in microfinance.
  • AI systems for dynamic pricing and inventory management in retail.
  • Machine learning models for identifying financial fraud in real time.
  • AI in employee engagement and performance analytics.
  • AI tools for improving corporate sustainability reporting and compliance.

 

AI in Urban Development and Infrastructure

AI research is enhancing urban living by improving infrastructure, transportation, and city planning. Explore these topics:

  • The impact of AI on enhancing energy efficiency in smart buildings.
  • Machine learning models for real-time traffic prediction and management.
  • The role of AI in improving urban planning and smart city initiatives.
  • AI for optimising public transport routes and schedules.
  • Machine learning in designing disaster-resilient urban infrastructure.
  • AI for smart parking management in congested urban areas.
  • Predictive models for infrastructure wear and maintenance needs using AI.

 

AI in Security and Privacy

AI is transforming security and privacy with innovative solutions for data protection and threat detection. Consider these research topics:

  • AI in cybersecurity threat detection and response.
  • Machine learning techniques for enhancing image recognition in security systems.
  • The use of AI in detecting and combating online misinformation.
  • AI-powered tools for enhancing online privacy and data protection.
  • Machine learning for automated content moderation on social platforms.
  • AI for preventing identity theft and fraud on digital platforms.
  • Machine learning in detecting insider threats within organisations.
  • AI for securing IoT devices in smart homes and industries.
  • Predictive AI models for identifying emerging cybersecurity threats.

 

AI in Technology and Innovation

AI research continues to push the boundaries of technological innovation in fields like robotics, virtual reality, and quantum computing. Here are some promising topics:

  • The use of deep learning in enhancing the accuracy of weather prediction models.
  • The application of ML algorithms in autonomous vehicle navigation systems.
  • Machine learning techniques for real-time language translation in social media platforms.
  • AI applications in virtual reality and augmented reality experiences.
  • AI and ML in artistic creation: Music, visual arts, and literature.
  • The use of AI in automated drone navigation for delivery services.
  • The application of ML in enhancing speech recognition technologies.
  • AI for developing smarter wearables with real-time contextual awareness.
  • Machine learning in advanced robotics for home assistance.
  • AI systems for creating hyper-personalised digital entertainment experiences.
  • AI in quantum computing for solving complex optimisation problems.

 

AI in Ethics and Social Impact

AI research must address critical ethical and societal challenges to ensure responsible and fair applications. Key topics include:

  • Developing ethical frameworks for AI decision-making in healthcare.
  • AI applications in facial recognition: Privacy and ethical considerations.
  • Developing ethical AI systems for recruitment and hiring processes.
  • AI frameworks for ensuring transparency in algorithmic decision-making.
  • Machine learning models that reduce bias in law enforcement applications.
  • AI for monitoring and addressing systemic biases in media content.
  • Researching the societal impact of AI on job displacement and re-skilling initiatives.

 

AI in Emerging and Niche Fields

AI research extends into emerging fields, offering innovative solutions in areas like space exploration and sports. Explore these unique topics:

  • AI in space exploration: Automated data analysis and interpretation.
  • AI in sports analytics for performance enhancement and injury prevention.
  • The impact of AI on legal research and case analysis.
  • AI for enhancing telecommunication networks in remote areas.
  • Machine learning in archaeology for artefact classification and site analysis.
  • AI for personalising user experiences in gaming.
  • AI-powered forecasting for international trade trends.

 

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Recent AI & ML-Related Studies

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in AI, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual studies in the AI and machine learning space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of AI-related studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

  • An overview of artificial intelligence in diabetic retinopathy and other ocular diseases (Sheng et al., 2022)
  • HOW DOES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELP ASTRONOMY? A REVIEW (Patel, 2022)
  • Editorial: Artificial Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Drug Repurposing: Methods and Applications (Zheng et al., 2022)
  • Review of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technologies: Classification, Restrictions, Opportunities, and Challenges (Mukhamediev et al., 2022)
  • Will digitization, big data, and artificial intelligence – and deep learning–based algorithm govern the practice of medicine? (Goh, 2022)
  • Flower Classifier Web App Using Ml & Flask Web Framework (Singh et al., 2022)
  • Object-based Classification of Natural Scenes Using Machine Learning Methods (Jasim & Younis, 2023)
  • Automated Training Data Construction using Measurements for High-Level Learning-Based FPGA Power Modeling (Richa et al., 2022)
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) Assisted Biomedical Systems for Intelligent Healthcare (Manickam et al., 2022)
  • Critical Review of Air Quality Prediction using Machine Learning Techniques (Sharma et al., 2022)
  • Artificial Intelligence: New Frontiers in Real–Time Inverse Scattering and Electromagnetic Imaging (Salucci et al., 2022)
  • Machine learning alternative to systems biology should not solely depend on data (Yeo & Selvarajoo, 2022)
  • Measurement-While-Drilling Based Estimation of Dynamic Penetrometer Values Using Decision Trees and Random Forests (García et al., 2022).
  • Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Oral Diseases: Applications and Pitfalls (Patil et al., 2022).
  • Automated Machine Learning on High Dimensional Big Data for Prediction Tasks (Jayanthi & Devi, 2022)
  • Breakdown of Machine Learning Algorithms (Meena & Sehrawat, 2022)
  • Technology-Enabled, Evidence-Driven, and Patient-Centered: The Way Forward for Regulating Software as a Medical Device (Carolan et al., 2021)
  • Machine Learning in Tourism (Rugge, 2022)
  • Towards a training data model for artificial intelligence in earth observation (Yue et al., 2022)
  • Classification of Music Generality using ANN, CNN and RNN-LSTM (Tripathy & Patel, 2022)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  To learn more about this, check out our Free Research Topic Bootcamp.

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4 Comments

  1. victor

    can one come up with their own tppic and get a search

    Reply
  2. victor

    can one come up with their own title and get a search

    Reply
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