The Role of Humans in Scientific Discovery in the Age of LLMs*

Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) are rapidly reshaping the landscape of scientific discovery. These technologies demonstrate the enormous potential of AI to accelerate research. Yet, they also signal a profound change in how research is conceived, conducted, and communicated, along with how doctoral students and researchers are supervised and intellectually developed.

This evolving landscape demands a re-examination of the human role in research.

The human–AI relationship in research must rest on mutual critique, trust, and collaboration. Researchers should rigorously assess AI-generated outputs through their own expertise, while using LLMs to test, challenge, and refine their arguments and hypotheses. This reciprocal ensures that AI acts as an augmentative partner rather than a replacement in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

Rather than offering definitive conclusions, this talk aims to stimulate dialogue, question assumptions, and inspire new ways of collective thinking about the future of scientific research and PhD training in an AI-driven world.

*This presentation was prepared by human, augmented by LLMs.

This event is part of the King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence’s AI Conversations series.

Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi  is a distinguished Professor of Engineering, academic leader, and entrepreneur. He has served as Vice President for Research & Innovation at King’s College London since 2022 and holds the Arm Professorship of Computer Engineering (since 2007). His work in hardware–software co-design and energy-efficient computing has shaped modern digital technologies, with innovations used in billions of smartphones worldwide.

Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng), and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Sir Bashir is a highly cited researcher with 400 publications, eight books, and 52 supervised PhDs. His honours include the IET Faraday Medal (2020) and the IEEE–HKN Asad M. Madni Award (2025). He was knighted by HM King Charles III in 2025 and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2018.

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