Introducing Robotic Scientists: Explorations into New Dimensions of Scientific Objectivity and Creativity

Authors : Tarık Tuna Gözütok

Pages : 1-12

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Publication Date : 2025-06-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study investigates the epistemological and sociological implications of robotic scientists—autonomous systems capable of hypothesis generation, experimentation, and inferences are examined in terms of objectivity in the context of contemporary science. However, scholars such as S. Harding, and H. Douglas have shown that science is inherently value laden. Robotic scientists complicate this discourse: while designed to minimize human biases, they reintroduce values via algorithmic design and data selection. Through cases like the Robot Scientist “Adam” and the autonomous robotic chemist developed at the University of Liverpool; the article illustrates how these systems can independently conduct large-scale experiments with remarkable consistency. Their ability to generate and test hypotheses reconfigures how scientific agency and authorship are understood, demanding a redefinition of objectivity as both an epistemic and procedural standard. The article also addresses the question of robotic creativity, using Boden’s framework to suggest that such systems already demonstrate exploratory creativity. Supported by international initiatives like the OECD’s “Nobel-Turing Challenge” the potential for robots to play more innovative scientific roles is becoming more tangible. Sociologically, robotic scientists challenge established institutional norms. Drawing on Latour’s Actor-Network Theory and Lamola’s concept of the “robosphere,” the article argues that these machines are not just tools but participants in socio-technical networks. They provoke reevaluation of concepts like expertise, community, and legitimacy. Robotic scientists do not merely enhance traditional research—they reshape the norms, values, and boundaries of science itself. Their emergence calls for interdisciplinary inquiry to address the ethical, philosophical, and institutional frameworks that must guide this transformation.
Keywords : Robotik Bilimciler, Bilimsel Nesnellik, İnsan–Makine Etkileşimi

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