If AI could replace physicists why should we still research?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential future role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of physics and whether it could replace human physicists. Participants explore the implications of AI advancements on scientific research across various disciplines, including physics, mathematics, and biology.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that AI may eventually solve all problems in physics and create a theory of everything, potentially rendering human research unnecessary.
  • Others argue that the timeline for such advancements is uncertain, and without ongoing research, the development of AI capabilities may not occur.
  • A few participants express skepticism about the feasibility of AI achieving certain complex tasks, such as deriving superconductivity from the many-body problem.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of AI replacing physicists, with some suggesting that this could lead to humans becoming "superfluous" or "pets" to machines.
  • There are references to current uses of AI in fields like astronomy, indicating a blend of human and machine intelligence in research.
  • Some participants emphasize the need for stronger evidence to support claims about AI's future capabilities, cautioning against speculation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with no consensus reached on whether AI will replace physicists or the implications of such a development. The discussion remains unresolved, with ongoing debate about the future role of AI in scientific research.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the speculative nature of claims regarding AI's capabilities and the timeline for its development. There is acknowledgment of the current limitations of AI in performing complex scientific tasks.

Gjmdp
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I mean, probably in the future an Artificial Intelligence may solve every problem of Physics and even create a theory of everything. I feel like all the progress physicist have done in 100 years could be done in the future by a machine like in 1 second. So why should we keep on doing research at all? And the same applies to Mathematics, Biology... We could just leave this to the machines, right?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Let's get in as much fun (ie, Physics discoveries) as we can before they take over.
 
Gjmdp said:
I mean, probably in the future an Artificial Intelligence may solve every problem of Physics and even create a theory of everything. I feel like all the progress physicist have done in 100 years could be done in the future by a machine like in 1 second. So why should we keep on doing research at all? And the same applies to Mathematics, Biology... We could just leave this to the machines, right?
Well, you should just avoid all scientific research and the rest of us will go happily along without you.
 
Gjmdp said:
I mean, probably in the future an Artificial Intelligence may solve every problem of Physics and even create a theory of everything. I feel like all the progress physicist have done in 100 years could be done in the future by a machine like in 1 second. So why should we keep on doing research at all? And the same applies to Mathematics, Biology... We could just leave this to the machines, right?
Because we don't know when or if it will happen and without that research it won't ever happen.
 
"Yes, man is gradually becoming superfluous. They say, there is already a computer in Japan that can be used to play chess against." - "Then I'd buy two" Jossele said. "They can play with each other and I go to the movies." - "Alright" I answered. "Let's go." (Ephraim Kishon)
 
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fresh_42 said:
"Yes, man is gradually becoming superfluous. They say, there is already a computer in Japan that can be used to play chess against." - "Then I'd buy two" Jossele said. "They can play with each other and I go to the movies." - "Alright" I answered. "Let's go." (Ephraim Kishon)
Funny article title* I saw today:
"AI[!] can do an astronomer's job 10 million times faster". Yeah, I've got one of those - it's called "Excel". Never heard it called "AI" before though. :rolleyes:
*I didn't bother reading it.
 
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It is even easier for AI to replace human posters on Internet forums. Why bother to ask questions? o_O
 
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Gjmdp said:
I mean, probably in the future an Artificial Intelligence may solve every problem of Physics and even create a theory of everything. I feel like all the progress physicist have done in 100 years could be done in the future by a machine like in 1 second. So why should we keep on doing research at all? And the same applies to Mathematics, Biology... We could just leave this to the machines, right?

This is silly.

Show me a computer that can derive superconductivity by solving EXACTLY the many-body problem, and we'll talk.

Zz.
 
phinds said:
Well, you should just avoid all scientific research and the rest of us will go happily along without you.
Ok that was a little bit rude.
 
  • #10
anorlunda said:
It is even easier for AI to replace human posters on Internet forums. Why bother to ask questions? o_O
Still, for now, they can't, or at least they can at a very primitive level hahaha. Tell me when they can.
 
  • #11
ZapperZ said:
This is silly.

Show me a computer that can derive superconductivity by solving EXACTLY the many-body problem, and we'll talk.

Zz.
I mean in the future. Of course they can't for now. But I'm pretty sure when Super AI becomes real it will manage this task.
 
  • #12
russ_watters said:
Funny article title* I saw today:
"AI[!] can do an astronomer's job 10 million times faster". Yeah, I've got one of those - it's called "Excel". Never heard it called "AI" before though. :rolleyes:
*I didn't bother reading it.
There are some papers in astronomy that use machine learning (AI). We are letting Artificial intelligence into Physics, and as we know AI will replace physicists in the future (machines will have achieved a superior understanding of the laws of Physics that no human could understand), so physicists are selling his jobs nowadays even though they know it. When I wrote this post I hoped some type of answer that made human research worthly rather than machine research, but as you have said research is now a mix of human and machine intelligence. What I can inference from your posts is that human intelligence will no longer be worth.

Some experts believe this AI will arrive in 2020-2030, so future physics may eventually have to leave their jobs as they will be of no utility anymore. Discouraging right? This is just speculation, but physics students should know that there is a very real chance that in a very close future they will loose job.

Thanks for all your responses, even the rude ones(...).
 
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  • #13
Gjmdp said:
We are letting Artificial intelligence into Physics, and as we know AI will replace physicists in the future (machines will have achieved a superior understanding of the laws of Physics that no human could understand), so physicists are selling his jobs nowadays even though they know it.
Until it happens, nobody "knows" this: it is speculation. And I doubt most informed observers consider it likely in the near future.
 
  • #14
Our most advanced instruments in physics (Kepler, VLT/ELT, CERN) all run automatically to some extend, including data analysis. Nevertheless, there are dozens of engineers, astronomers and particle physicists around to manage and evaluate the results. And the waiting lists for using time are considerably long.

I wonder, if an AI would have found the broken connection, when superluminous neutrinos had been measured.
 
  • #15
Gjmdp said:
I mean in the future. Of course they can't for now. But I'm pretty sure when Super AI becomes real it will manage this task.

Sorry, this isn't a matter of "capability". How does an "AI" hope to do such computation?

Hint: look at the concept of "emergent" phenomenon.

Zz.
 
  • #16
ZapperZ said:
Sorry, this isn't a matter of "capability". How does an "AI" hope to do such computation?

Hint: look at the concept of "emergent" phenomenon.

Zz.
I knew that already. Super AI would outperform every human ability, such as thinking and theorizing, not just computing, so if machines can't do the task you are talking of, human being will not be able to do that either. I don't see your issue as a problem.
 
  • #17
Would humans end up being mere "pets" for those computers? I think it would be better to somehow "upgrade" the human brain by connecting it to computers that can handle those things that are not easy for a human mind.
 
  • #18
Gjmdp said:
Artificial Intelligence may solve every problem of Physics
Gjmdp said:
Super AI would outperform every human ability, such as thinking and theorizing,
Gjmdp said:
we know AI will replace physicists in the future
Please PM me with the professional references that support these claims. Until then, please review the rules about personal speculation. Although there is a lot of popular media hype about AI, we require stronger evidence than hype here at PF.
 

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