The Lorentz transformations were pretty close to special relativity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorentz_transformation I don't claim that I could have discover it, but in a parallel universe without Einstein I expect it to be discovered, perhaps 10 years later, but there were a lot of breadcrumbs in 1904.

General relativity is harder, but Poincare was somewhat oriented in the right direction. Perhaps AI can discover the final step.

Quantum mechanics is harder. You need like 25 years and a few unintuitive leaps to discover it. I guess it's too hard for AI in 2026, but remember to check again in 2027.

I think the current architecture is limited.

To quote Einstein directly:

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Viereck (Interviewer): How do you account for your discoveries? Through intuition or inspiration?

Einstein: Discussing intuition and his confidence in relativity, noting he was convinced the 1919 eclipse would confirm his hypothesis.

Viereck: Then you trust more to your imagination than to your knowledge?

Einstein: I am enough of the artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

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I think we need more breakthroughs to build AI that can "draw freely upon imagination" to quote Einstein describing his process.

That is just my guess.

David Hilbert presented the field equations of general relativity within a few weeks of Einstein, so if anything GR was more sure to appear than SR, which took years for others to even notice (Einstein became famous only after the 1919 experiment that confirmed GR). Pertinently to the recent Navier-Stokes drama, there was very little controversy between the two and they both admitted that the other got some aspect better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_relativity_priority_di...