Pittcon 2026 Preview: The James L. Waters Annual Symposium Explores Generative AI in Chemical Measurements

As the Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (Pittcon) convenes March 7–11, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas, one of the meeting’s longest-running and most distinctive technical sessions will once again bring historical perspective to emerging technology. The James L. Waters Annual Symposium, a cornerstone of Pittcon’s technical program for more than three decades, will focus this year on generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its evolving role in analytical chemistry.

This symposium, which is scheduled for Monday, March 9, from 2:30 to 4:40 p.m. in Room 221A, is titled “Generative AI in the Analytical Chemist’s Toolbox for Chemical Measurements.” The session will examine how generative AI tools, particularly large language models (LLMs), may be integrated into analytical workflows, while emphasizing the scientific discipline required to ensure accuracy, reliability, and interpretability in chemical measurements.

A Symposium with a Historical Mission

The James L. Waters Annual Symposium was established in 1989 through the vision of James L. Waters, who was the founder of Waters Associates, Inc. The symposium was created to document and celebrate the origins, development, implementation, and commercialization of major analytical instrumentation and techniques. Since that time, it has served a unique role at Pittcon, complementing research-focused sessions with historical and reflective discussions led by scientists deeply involved in the evolution of measurement technologies.

Over the years, symposium topics have mirrored the trajectory of analytical science itself. Early sessions addressed foundational techniques such as infrared (IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). As instrumentation diversified, the symposium expanded to include subjects such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) of powders and thin films, Raman spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning probe microscopies, and DNA sequencing.

More recent Waters Symposium topics have reflected advances in portability, imaging, and computational capability. Sessions have examined near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) interfaces, handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometers, chemical imaging spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization - time-of-flight (MALDI–TOF) mass spectrometry, ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC), ambient ionization MS, and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Collectively, these programs have created a continuous historical record of how analytical technologies mature from early concepts into widely adopted tools.

Turning Attention to Generative AI

For Pittcon 2026, the Waters Symposium turns its focus toward a technology that is rapidly reshaping scientific practice across disciplines. Generative AI systems are increasingly being used for data interpretation, algorithm development, experimental planning, and scientific communication. However, their effective use in analytical chemistry presents both opportunity and challenges.

The 2026 session aims to address these issues directly by examining how generative AI can be incorporated into chemical measurement science without compromising scientific rigor and domain knowledge. Presentations will emphasize validation, data quality, uncertainty, and interpretability—concepts long familiar to spectroscopists and chemometricians but newly relevant in the context of AI-generated outputs.

Program and Speakers (in Order of Presentation)

Daniel W. Armstrong (University of Texas at Arlington) will open the symposium and serve as session chair. Armstrong’s introductory presentation will frame generative AI as a potential analytical assistant capable of supporting method development, algorithm selection, and experimental reasoning. He will also discuss the boundaries of current AI tools and the necessity of chemical expertise in guiding their application.

Omar Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley), and 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry laureate, will present AIMATRY: A New Field of Chemistry. Yaghi will introduce a conceptual framework that integrates artificial intelligence into chemical discovery and understanding, proposing how generative methods may contribute to future models of scientific reasoning and materials development.

M. Farooq Wahab (University of Texas at Arlington) will follow with a presentation titled Accelerating Innovation in Analytical Chemistry and Measurement Science with Generative AI. Wahab will explore how AI-based tools can assist with signal processing, multivariate data analysis, and method optimization, highlighting use cases where generative models may shorten development timelines while preserving analytical reliability.

Rasmus Bro (University of Copenhagen) will then present Beyond the Hype: What Chemometrics Can Teach Generative AI. Drawing on decades of experience in multivariate analysis, Bro will examine generative AI through the lens of chemometric principles, emphasizing the importance of validation, model robustness, and interpretability. His presentation will highlight parallels between earlier computational revolutions and today’s AI-driven tools.

Jerome Workman (Associate Editorial Director, Spectroscopy magazine) will conclude the symposium with From Calibration to Interpretation: How Generative AI Is Rewriting Chemical Measurement. Workman will place AI developments within the historical continuum of spectroscopy and chemometrics, examining how emerging tools intersect with calibration theory, spectral interpretation, and measurement uncertainty.

Bridging Past and Future at Pittcon

The James L. Waters Annual Symposium has long served as a bridge between analytical science’s past achievements and its emerging directions. By selecting generative AI as its 2026 theme, the symposium continues this tradition—examining a rapidly evolving technology through the lens of measurement science rather than novelty alone.

For spectroscopists and analytical chemists attending Pittcon 2026, the session offers an opportunity to step back from day-to-day applications and consider how new computational tools fit into the broader history of chemical measurement. As generative AI becomes increasingly embedded in laboratory practice, the Waters Symposium provides a forum for thoughtful discussion on how innovation can proceed responsibly, transparently, and scientifically.

References

(1) The 2026 James L. Waters Annual Symposium Pittcon webpage. https://app.swapcard.com/event/pittcon-2026/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfNDMwOTg5Ng== (accessed 01-21-2026).

(2) AI Developments That Changed Vibrational Spectroscopy in 2025: Spectroscopy webpage. Dec. 27, 2025. https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/ai-developments-that-changed-vibrational-spectroscopy-in-2025 (accessed 01-21-2026