What does it mean that AI can now join the process of scientific discovery?

The answer

In 2026, AI crossed a threshold from being a scientific tool to becoming a scientific collaborator. AI systems can now generate novel hypotheses, design and control laboratory experiments, analyze results, and iterate - accelerating the scientific method itself. Google DeepMind's AI systems demonstrated the ability to propose new materials for battery chemistry and then verify predictions through robotic lab experiments. Microsoft Research reported AI agents that autonomously conducted multi-step chemistry experiments. This represents a fundamental shift: AI is no longer limited to tasks humans assign - it can identify questions humans haven't thought to ask. Researchers describe this as 'AI-native science,' where human scientists focus on creativity and judgment while AI handles the vast space of possible experiments.