Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the scientific landscape, including the field of freshwater science. This special session highlights the transformative potential of AI, including machine learning, in revolutionizing the collection and analysis of big data, uncovering patterns and processes in freshwater systems, enabling AI-guided decision making, enhancing scientific communication in novel ways, and fostering new avenues for participatory science. We will begin the session by tracing the evolution of AI in freshwater research and provide an overview of its current and future potential. We will set the stage for speakers to showcase examples of how AI is being utilized in freshwater science, identify challenges that AI can help address, and illuminate future opportunities poised to reshape the field. The session aims to inspire dialogue and innovation within the scientific community, emphasizing the critical role of AI in advancing the capacity and pace of freshwater research, and addressing key environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation challenges interfacing with freshwater.