Researchers from Japans RIKEN iTHEMS center presented the first Milky Way simulation on November 16, 2025, tracking over 100 billion stars across 10,000 years of evolution. As reported by ScienceDaily, the breakthrough was made possible by a "physics + AI" hybrid approach. The team used a detailed physical model but replaced the most computationally intensive part—calculating the effects of supernovae—with a "surrogate" AI module. This allowed them to achieve results over 100 times faster than traditional methods and paves the way for AI-accelerated models in climatology and astrophysics.
RIKEN: AI Helps Create First Milky Way Simulation with 100 Billion Stars
