Behavioural Rehearsing Illuminates Scientific Problems of Organised Complexity

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prevalent in scientific research, data-driven methodologies appear to overshadow traditional methods in resolving scientific problems. In this Perspective, we revisit a classic classification of scientific problems and rethink the evolution of scientific paradigms from the standpoint of data, algorithms, and computational power. We observe that the strengths of new paradigms have expanded the range of resolvable scientific problems, but the continued advancement of data, algorithms, and computational power is unlikely to bring a new paradigm. To tackle unresolved problems of organised complexity in more intricate systems, we argue that the integration of paradigms is a promising approach. Consequently, we propose behavioural rehearsing, checking what will happen in such systems through multiple times of simulation. One of the methodologies to realise it, sophisticated behavioural simulation (SBS), represents a higher level of paradigms integration based on foundational models to simulate complex social systems involving sophisticated human strategies and behaviours. SBS extends beyond the capabilities of traditional agent-based modelling simulation (ABMS), and therefore, makes behavioural rehearsing a potential solution to problems of organised complexity in complex human systems.