I don't think the author meant to imply that ML as a whole doesn't improve our understanding of the physical world. The point seems to be more that the kind of

I don't think the author meant to imply that ML as a whole doesn't improve our understanding of the physical world. The point seems to be more that the kind of ML work done by a lot of people who have the qualifications necessary to expand the borders of our understanding of the physical world doesn't meaningfully contribute to our knowledge.