By Alessandra Buccella
Publication Date: 2026-01-20 13:37:00
In line with the general trend of integrating artificial intelligence into almost every field, researchers and policymakers are increasingly using AI models trained on scientific data to derive answers to scientific questions. But can AI ultimately replace scientists?
The Trump Administration signed an executive order on November 24, 2025, announcing the Genesis Mission, an initiative to build and train a range of AI agents using federal scientific datasets “to test new hypotheses, automate research workflows, and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.”
So far, the achievements of these so-called AI scientists have been mixed. On the one hand, AI systems can process huge data sets and recognize subtle connections that humans cannot. On the other hand, their lack of rational thinking may lead to unrealistic or irrelevant experimental recommendations.
While AI can help with tasks that are part of the scientific process, it is still far from…
