AI Papers to Read in 2025

Introduction

This article offers a curated list of AI and Data Science papers to keep readers informed about both recent and classic breakthroughs. It marks the return of a popular series of AI paper recommendations on Towards Data Science (TDS), following four previous editions.

Purpose and Approach

This list is intentionally opinionated, blending insights and perspectives to provide a broad understanding of AI trends. It is not focused on state-of-the-art models but aims to highlight meaningful developments and valuable lessons from the past and future.

Critical Thinking Focus

The goal is to encourage readers to critically evaluate the field of AI rather than just follow popular models. Each of the ten selected papers is accompanied by a summary of its contributions and clear reasons why it is worth reading.

Additional Exploration

Every paper recommendation includes a further reading section with related topics and tangents to explore for deeper understanding.

Reflecting on Past Views

“We don’t need larger models; we need solutions” and “do not expect me to suggest GPT nonsense here.”

This statement from the author's 2022 article expresses skepticism towards increasingly larger models like GPT, viewing such development as minor improvements rather than breakthroughs. However, the author acknowledges giving credit where it's due.

Summary

This carefully selected list provides insightful AI research papers to foster critical thinking and keep readers informed about key trends and concepts beyond mere hype.

Towards Data Science — 2025-11-06