Robotic units at a new San Francisco Bay Area facility are now executing biological experiments under the direction of Claude AI. The wet lab shifts Anthropic's life sciences ambitions beyond computer simulations and in silico evaluations to physical biological research. Eric Kauderer-Abrams, head of life sciences, confirmed the facility is in the "very early innings" of using AI to automate the execution of laboratory work.

The company targets preclinical research for rare and traditionally undruggable diseases, skipping clinical trials to steer clear of direct competition with pharmaceutical firms. A spokesperson stated the lab is not for drug discovery specifically, though Reuters reports the move ramps up an AI drug program. Internal researchers have warned that the intersection of advanced AI and physical biology could enable the creation of biological weapons or catastrophic harm.