The New Scientific Method: From the Lab Bench to the Command Line in the Age of AI

AI outlines a paradigm shift in the scientific method, driven by the integration of artificial intelligence and vast computational resources, moving discovery from the physical lab bench to the digital command line. This new "computation-first" model utilizes autonomous laboratories and massive-scale in silico simulation to generate and pre-vet millions of hypotheses, effectively de-risking the research pipeline before expensive physical experiments. While this shift promises a potential solution to the pervasive replication crisis in science, it also necessitates a redefinition of the human scientist's role, evolving the theorist from an originator of ideas into a Master Curator who strategically orchestrates AI debates and provides crucial ethical and intellectual oversight. Ultimately, the future of science points toward a new computational scientist who bridges the increasingly blurred lines between theory and experiment, with scientific success defined by strategic wisdom rather than individual insight.