Pathway to a fully data-driven geotechnics: Lessons from materials informatics

•We highlight deep learning's potential to tackle complex geotechnics problems.•We emphasize the importance of open science in geotechnics to boost collaboration.•Foundation models and transfer learning are keys to a data-driven geotechnics future. This paper elucidates the challenges and opportunities inherent in integrating data-driven methodologies into geotechnics, drawing inspiration from the success of materials informatics. Highlighting the intricacies of soil complexity, heterogeneity, and the lack of comprehensive data, the discussion underscores the pressing need for community-driven database initiatives and open science movements. By leveraging the transformative power of deep learning, particularly in feature extraction from high-dimensional data and the potential of transfer learning, we envision a paradigm shift towards a more collaborative and innovative geotechnics field. The paper concludes with a forward-looking stance, emphasizing the revolutionary potential brought about by advanced computational tools like large language models in reshaping geotechnics informatics.