Sounds like you have never worked in a lab.

Your assumption is wrong. Consider, for instance, the LHC dataset, which reach O(EB). Just bringing the data into disks, loading into RAM in chunks, doing the data analysis and reduction, and doing the statistical analyses and fits, is a monumental task.

Consider now the work needed to operate the detectors, acquire the data, do calibrations and validations.

Notwithstanding designing, building and commissioning the detectors.

Please don’t assume lab automation.