Deep Learning Opacity in Scientific Discovery

Understand

Philosophers have recently focused on critical, epistemological challenges that arise from the opacity of deep neural networks.

• One might conclude from this literature that doing good science with opaque models is exceptionally challenging, if not impossible.
• Yet, this is hard to square with the recent boom in optimism for AI in science alongside a flood of recent scientific breakthroughs driven by AI methods.
• In this paper, I argue that the disconnect between philosophical pessimism and scientific optimism is driven by a failure to examine how AI is actually used in science.