Colloqui di Fisica: When Machines Meet Hypotheses: The Rise of AI in Scientific Research

Lunedì 26 maggio 2025 alle ore 15:00, il prof. Riccardo Torre dell'INFN di Genova, terrà il Colloquio di Fisica dal titolo "When Machines Meet Hypotheses: The Rise of AI in Scientific Research. Will AI Replace the Scientific Method? (Spoiler: No)"

Abstract: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping our daily lives — from personalized recommendations to autonomous systems and predictive models in healthcare and finance. Its impact on scientific research is equally profound, promising to accelerate scientific exploration, optimize experimental design, and reveal patterns beyond traditional approaches. In this colloquium, we will explore the rise of AI in scientific research, focusing on how machine learning and data-driven methods are beginning to intersect with the traditional hypothesis-driven approach that has defined the scientific method for centuries. We will address a central question: can AI replace the scientific method itself? And why — despite its remarkable capabilities — the answer remains no. While general AI excels at recognizing patterns and generalizing from data, scientific inquiry demands more: the formulation of hypotheses, the design of controlled experiments, the assessment of uncertainty, and the requirement of falsifiability. Through examples from High Energy Physics (HEP), we will highlight how AI is becoming an indispensable tool — accelerating simulations, guiding discoveries, and even inspiring new theoretical approaches — without substituting the foundational principles of scientific reasoning.
In the end, the future of scientific research will not be a choice between AI and the scientific method, but hopefully the emergence of a scientific AI — capable of applying, respecting, and ultimately advancing the scientific method itself.

Il seminario si terrà in Aula B - Via Della Vasca Navale 84 (piano terra)

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