What AI Can’t Do

I was in Santa Monica, Zohra and I were invited to Sabah’s home. The house smelled of spiced biryani, fresh naan, and rich qorma. Sabah mentioned her daughter, Laila.

“She’s thinking of dropping science next term,” Sabah said, pushing her plate aside. “She told me, ‘Why bother? AI does it all better. No one’s going to need chemistry or physics anymore.’”

Sabah is a physicist who now works in AI, so this hit a little close to home.

Zohra and I exchanged a look. “That’s a big shift,” Zohra said. “How did you respond?”

Sabah shrugged. “I told her science still matters, but she came back with, ‘Even you moved into AI, Mom.’”

Zohra added, “AI is powerful, but it doesn’t know anything. It processes data but doesn’t wonder or understand. That’s science. Science isn’t just knowledge, it’s a philosophy of inquiry. It’s about questioning the nature of reality, seeking truth, and understanding the unknown.”

“Exactly,” Sabah said. “Science is our foundation for exploring the universe. In the future, AI might reshape everything, but it will be guided by the questions we ask and the ethics we set. It can’t replace human curiosity, or our quest to truly understand the why behind existence.”

Sabah smiled. “Maybe I need to share this with Laila.”

I absently said, “Yeah, sure!” and ducked out of the conversation, deciding to give my full, undivided attention to the qorma.