Anthropic says Claude found a CRISPR-like enzyme system, but tests are pending

In short: Anthropic says its AI model Claude helped identify a new enzyme system that resembles CRISPR, but scientists say it still needs lab proof.

What happened

Anthropic announced on September 23 that Claude, its large language model (an AI that works with text), flagged genetic patterns that the company says look similar to CRISPR, a well known method used to cut and edit DNA (like scissors for genes). Anthropic calls the newly described system ART, short for array-associated reverse transcriptases.

Anthropic says it ran about 950 Claude “agents” (copies of the model working in parallel, like many interns searching at once) and found the promising sequences in about 21.5 hours. The search looked through large genome databases for reverse transcriptases, proteins that copy RNA into DNA, which is the reverse of what cells usually do.

The company says ART was found in jumbo phages, which are large viruses that infect bacteria. Anthropic shared a technical report that included one physical experiment, but the report has not been peer-reviewed, meaning independent experts have not formally checked the work yet.

Researchers quoted by Wired were split on the news. One expert praised Anthropic for sharing the finding, while another said, “The experiments are still in the queue. The PR is already live.” Other scientists noted the enzyme itself was described in a 2021 paper, and said the newer part may be Claude noticing repeat patterns nearby that hinted at a CRISPR-like system.

Why it matters

If ART or something like it turns into a useful gene-editing tool, it could eventually help research into diseases, but that is a big “if.” For now, this is closer to finding a shiny object in the sand (it might be a diamond, or it might be glass) than announcing a new medical breakthrough.

Source: Wired