By using standardized protocols fully described in an experimental handbook, 12 oxidation catalysts were synthesized, extensively characterized and tested in ethane, propane, and n-butane oxidation. The application of the rigorous protocols, which take into account the kinetics of formation of the catalyst active states, enabled a consistent comparison of materials properties and reactivity towards the three reactions. By applying AI, we demonstrate that the reactivity is correlated with multiple materials properties in a nonlinear way. This highlights that several underlying processes play in concert to determine the performance in selective oxidation. Therefore, AI is not an addition to the heterogeneous-catalysis-research toolkit, but rather a prerequisite for the identification of property-function relationships that are overlooked by simpler (e.g., linear) models.