Mechanistically informed artificial neural network model for discovering anisotropic path-dependent plasticity of metals

•A mechanistically informed artificial neural network model was proposed with good interpretability and reliability.•The neural network could fully replace the anisotropic path-dependent elastoplastic constitutive model and heavy multiscale simulations.•The hidden anisotropic yield and hardening behavior of a metamaterial were successfully discovered.•The application of user subroutines to the FEM illustrates the numerical stability of the proposed model.