Khosrowi, Donal (2026) Automating Pursuitworthiness: Four Concerns About ‘AI Scientists’ and the Proper Roles for Machine Learning Systems in Scientific Discovery. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Machine learning (ML) systems play increasingly important roles in scientific discovery. Recent efforts seek to build ML systems that predict upcoming discoveries and who is likely to make them, identify emerging research trends, and suggest novel concepts, ideas, questions, hypotheses and experiments to investigators. Notably, unlike other ML systems, these predictive discovery and recommender systems (PDRS) seek to augment and automate agenda-setting roles currently played by human researchers: determining or shaping the goals and trajectories of scientific discovery, rather than taking given goals and merely executing tasks in their pursuit. This paper argues, first, that PDRS raise novel conceptual and methodological disruptions, creating uncertainty around whether PDRS can and should play such roles. Second, the paper draws out four major questions, and associated concerns, about the roles PDRS are envisioned to play. These issues have not received attention in the literature thus far, leaving unclear what the proper roles of PDRS in science could be and how these roles should be carved out through appropriate designs and divisions of labor. To address these issues, the paper explores concerns about PDRS’ potential impacts and limitations, and how PDRS fit with broader views of how science should function.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Khosrowi, Donal donal.khosrowi@philos.uni-hannover.de 0000-0002-9927-2000
Keywords:	scientific discovery; AI scientists; machine learning; artificial intelligence; recommender systems; values in science; performativity; pursuitworthiness
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Artificial Intelligence Specific Sciences > Artificial Intelligence > Machine Learning General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Technology General Issues > Values In Science
Depositing User:	Donal Khosrowi
Date Deposited:	01 Apr 2026 12:45
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2026 12:45
Item ID:	28854
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Artificial Intelligence Specific Sciences > Artificial Intelligence > Machine Learning General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Technology General Issues > Values In Science
Date:	2026
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/28854

Available Versions of this Item

• Automating Pursuitworthiness: Four Concerns About The Proper Roles for Machine Learning in Scientific Discovery. (deposited 11 Oct 2025 12:34)
  • Automating Pursuitworthiness: Four Concerns About ‘AI Scientists’ and the Proper Roles for Machine Learning Systems in Scientific Discovery. (deposited 01 Apr 2026 12:45) [Currently Displayed]

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