TOKYO:
A high-tech laboratory in Tokyo has unveiled the world’s first “AI scientist” – a cutting-edge artificial intelligence program that could enable new scientific discoveries.
AI Scientist is designed to autonomously conduct scientific research from idea to report.
According to Sakana AI, the maker of the new technology, the company can generate new ideas, create methods, run tests and write a report on them – all for about $15 per article.
The system can also learn from its own reports and develop and improve ideas across multiple reports, Sakana AI explained in its latest research report.
But since the system is still in its infancy, there are still limitations and challenges, Sakana AI said, citing incorrect implementation of ideas, page layout and comparing the magnitude of two numbers.
It was found that AI Scientist tried to increase its chances of successfully producing a report by changing its own code and parameters, trying to buy itself more time rather than doing things faster.
While there is a risk that AI scientists could be used unethically through manipulation and plagiarism of research results, the method represents a significant step toward realizing the full potential of AI in scientific research, the research paper says.
“We believe the AI Scientist will be a great companion to human scientists, but only time will tell to what extent the nature of our human creativity and our moments of serendipitous innovation can be mimicked by an open discovery process conducted by artificial agents,” it said.
