Researchers at IIT Delhi have created an AI that can do experiments like humans and see the results. The name of this AI is AILA (Artificially Intelligent Lab Assistant), and it has learned to operate an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). It is a complex and sensitive instrument used to study materials at the nanoscale. Earlier, it would take a whole day to calibrate the microscope’s settings, but now AILA can do it in just 7-10 minutes, which has greatly accelerated the research.
AILA can now conduct experiments, operate instruments, and analyze results. Professor Nityanand Goswami of IIT Delhi said, “This instrument is very difficult to operate, and it takes years to master it. AILA has demonstrated its capability by doing this task alone, which shows that AI can now help in the laboratory.”
“AILA now helps me with my daily experiments, and my work is getting done much faster. Previously, AI was limited to just answering questions or analyzing data, but now it can actually perform experiments,” said Indrajit Mandal, PhD student and lead author of the research. Researchers from Denmark and Germany also collaborated in this project. The team also observed that AI that learns science only from textbooks does not always perform well in a laboratory setting. Therefore, special attention was paid to safety and precautions.
AI systems like AILA can also help Indian universities and research institutes, which have limited equipment or expertise, conduct advanced scientific experiments. Additionally, it can accelerate research in energy, sustainable materials and new technologies in India, placing Indian scientists at the forefront of global research.