Biju Dharmapalan and Shivaprasad Amaravayal
We are living in an AI-inspired world where human beings' daily activities are influenced by the endless powers of artificial intelligence. AI is capable of reading human speech, producing creative works like poetry, writing and even movie making, diagnosing diseases, and even predicting the folding of proteins with astounding precision. Even in the education sector, AI has become an indispensable component. Basic science, which is the fundamental quest of understanding nature, is being relegated to the background. Incidentally, it's the same basic science that acts as the foundation of AI.
Decades of foundational study in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and life sciences have laid the groundwork for the fascination with the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as every breakthrough in AI itself. Ironically, as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to thrive, the foundations upon which it is built-basic science-are gradually deteriorating.
The Underlying Principles of the Algorithm
Every advanced algorithm that drives contemporary AI is founded on linear algebra, calculus, probability theory, and principles of computer architecture-all originating from fundamental scientific exploration. Likewise, neural networks that emulate human cognition are derived from research in biology and cognitive science. However, as society increasingly values "applications" and "outcomes," fewer young individuals are attracted to the meticulous and laborious discipline of pure research.
In academic and research institutions, financial support and acknowledgement frequently gravitate towards initiatives that offer rapid industry returns. Start-ups and applied research and development centres are lauded, whereas fundamental science laboratories have challenges in validating their relevance. This disparity is perilous. It is like to praising the fruit without nurturing the tree.
The Decline of Curiosity-Driven Research
In India, as in other countries, a concerning trend has emerged: students are increasingly opting to study practical or job-oriented topics such as data science, coding, and business analytics rather than fundamental fields such as physics, chemistry, or zoology. As a result of the widespread belief that basic science does not have immediate employability, the pool of potential future researchers is decreasing. It is becoming increasingly difficult for laboratories that traditionally thrived on curiosity to attract fresh brains.
However, each and every applied topic is only the apparent tip of a much larger iceberg of fundamental comprehension. Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic induction and Watson and Crick's elucidation of the DNA structure were not motivated by market considerations. These discoveries established the groundwork for contemporary communication, computing, and biotechnology-industries that propel the 21st-century economy.
Similarly, quantum mechanics, which was once a strange theoretical construct, now serves as the foundation for quantum computers, lasers, and semiconductors.
Should we neglect to revive curiosity-driven research, future generations may inherit a technologically advanced society devoid of scientific essence-machines capable of thought, yet humans who cease to enquire.
AI as a Partner, Not a Replacement
AI has the potential to serve as a formidable ally in revitalising fundamental science. AI systems are currently expediting the discovery of novel materials, forecasting protein structures, and recreating cosmic phenomena with unparalleled precision. Nonetheless, these instruments cannot supplant human creativity, intuition, or the philosophical profundity that underlies scientific inquiry.
Artificial intelligence flourishes on data-it acquires knowledge from existing information. Science, conversely, explores potentialities. The capacity for imaginative conjecture-the ability to see the invisible-remains distinctly human. Consequently, fostering fundamental science is not an act of opposing AI; rather, it involves augmenting it with the intellectual profundity that only human curiosity can offer.
India's Imperative
India, with its rich legacy of scientific reasoning-from Aryabhata and Charaka to Raman and Bhabha-must not overlook the importance of fundamental inquiry. The growth of science in Bharat is built on our strong foundations in basic science. Although national AI and quantum computing initiatives are praiseworthy, equal attention should be directed towards revitalising the ecosystem for basic research. It's true that the output of basic research won't be colourful immediately, but it will bring fruits of knowledge that would drive our country toward the next century. This will make Vikashit Bharat and our vision to be a global leader in science and technology a reality.
Reclaiming the Spirit of Discovery
AI is here to stay, and there will be no retraction from our society, and this is a very good thing. However, we should not allow the excitement of artificial intelligence to overshadow the importance of human research. In that case, we risk becoming passive recipients of what has been accomplished in the past rather than active creators of new knowledge.
The revitalisation of fundamental science in this age of artificial intelligence is not a heartfelt appeal to go back to the past; rather, it is an intellectual and moral necessity for the future. The fate of human civilisation will not be determined by the level of intelligence that our machines achieve; rather, it will be determined by the extent to which we continue to comprehend, question, and marvel about the universe that in the first place made it possible for intelligence to exist, whether it be human or artificial.