Classical force fields could still catch up and beat MLIPs, researcher says

TimothyDuignan · x · 2026-10-28

In a discussion with Lindorff Larsen, Timothy Duignan says he's open to the idea that classical force fields may improve rapidly and ultimately outperform machine-learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs) for many applications. He previously noted that hand-fitting zinc coordination geometry (tetrahedral vs octahedral) remains an unsolved problem, despite zinc being central to many biological systems.

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