Anthropic expands into wet lab research with ai-driven biology focus

Anthropic, the AI company known for its large language models, has confirmed it operates a wet biology lab in the Bay Area, where it uses AI to conduct physical experiments. The lab, which operates similarly to traditional biotech labs, focuses on fundamental biology rather than drug discovery. Eric Kauderer-Abrams, Anthropic’s head of life sciences, emphasized that real-world lab work remains essential for biological research. The company acquired Coefficient Bio, a stealth AI biotech, in April, further solidifying its commitment to this field. To avoid conflicts with its pharmaceutical partners, including Novo Nordisk, Anthropic launched a Life Sciences Verification Program, granting vetted researchers access to its advanced models. It also published reports on protein design and bimolecular modeling. Despite its focus on research, Anthropic faces scrutiny over AI safety, with its alignment lead estimating a greater than 10% chance of AI exterminating humanity within the next decade. CEO Dario Amodei has called for industry self-regulation, citing bioterrorism as a major risk.