The Transformation of the Science in the Age of AI

This chapter adopts a holistic perspective to examine the transformation of science in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The increasing integration of AI technologies into scientific research is shown to reshape not only methodological tools, but also the epistemological assumptions, institutional structures, and societal roles of science. AI is approached not merely as a technological advancement, but as a historical threshold that reconfigures scientific practice from within. While AI encompasses a broad spectrum ranging from traditional symbolic logic to contemporary autonomous systems, this chapter focuses on how machine learning (ML) and generative models transform science. By analyzing these data-driven paradigms, it evaluates the key drivers of today’s research shifts.The chapter analyzes how data-centered epistemologies, algorithmic modeling, and human–machine collaboration transforms the production of scientific knowledge, the role of the researcher, and the norms of transparency, reproducibility, and scientific authority. It further explores how digital platforms and algorithmic intermediaries restructure the dissemination of science and redefine the relationship between scientific credibility, public visibility, and societal trust.In addition to these global dynamics, the chapter situates the transformation of science withinthe context of national science policy and governance, with particular attention to the case of Türkiye. Through examples drawn from higher education reform, public-sector AI institutions,

and international policy engagement, the study illustrates how national frameworks shape the direction, responsibilities, and societal implications of AI-driven scientific development.The chapter argues that science in the age of AI is undergoing a process of reorganization rather than a crisis. It concludes that the long-term future of science will be determined less by technical capacity than by epistemological choices, ethical principles, and policy frameworks that mediate the relationship between knowledge, power, and society.