Evolution and impact of the science of science: from theoretical analysis to digital-AI driven research

The Science of Science (SoS) examines the mechanisms driving the development and societal role of science, evolving from its sociological roots into a data-driven discipline. This paper traces the progression of SoS from its early focus on the social functions of science to the current era, characterized by large-scale quantitative analysis and AI-driven methodologies. Scientometrics, a key branch of SoS, has utilized statistical methods and citation analysis to understand scientific growth and knowledge diffusion. With the rise of big data and complex network theory, SoS has transitioned toward more refined analyses, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive modeling, sentiment annotation, and entity extraction. This paper explores the application of AI in SoS, highlighting its role as a surrogate, quant, and arbiter in advancing data processing, data analysis and peer review. The integration of AI has ushered in a new paradigm for SoS, enhancing its predictive accuracy and providing deeper insights into the internal dynamics of science and its impact on society.