Not an expert but I expect that what AI/machine learning/NN shines is the ability to produce very high quality solutions (or approximations) for large-scale NP-hard problems. With regard to the "NP-hard" part, I don't think regular data science can be a sufficient substitute.
What do you mean by "regular data science"? Deep learning is just another tool in the belt of a data scientist. A deep learning solution doesn't just spring up on its own. At this point in time anyway, all solutions are engineered by engineers and data scientists.
