Could AI replicate a paradigm-shifting scientific breakthrough like Einstein's?
- Neil Marley
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
I just used AI to discover a novel variation in quantum mechanics.
This started with a conversation last week with Jeremy Davey. If Einstein had used a 1905 version of the Internet and an LLM could he have created the Theory of Relativity through prompts?
The ChatGPT thread below goes on a journey through that topic and on to exploring what a paradigm shift breakthrough actually is. Often, it's a complete reversal of a concrete assumption (the world is flat, the sun orbits us).
This is why this matters for people and business using AI to create, develop and deploy new ideas in their life:
1. The prompt is key. Prompts are the human element, the driving force of the question. The data is there and by questioning the assumptions you could yield non-obvious, but real, insights. Prompt Engineering is a significant skill. It is not something you can expect your user population to do.
2. LLMs are more naturally suited to rapid development of ideas post-paradigm, i.e. once the Theory has been found, then the development of the ideas will lead to real outcome more quickly. If we had AI we would probably have accelerated the dawn of the Atomic age.
3. LLMs spit out reams of complex words that seem concrete and compelling. If you want to use AI in your field then you need to be an expert in that field, first. I have no idea whether I have created a novel equation in physics. I suspect not. I would be very interested to know whether it is total garbage.
4. Great prompts (questions) have always driven us forward as humans. What if....etc. We should be educating our next generations to constantly assess, reject and then accept new ideas. I see less value in simply acquiring knowledge; there is huge value where you can ask the right questions and use your knowledge to assess the answers.
Comments