Tetsuwan Scientific Builds AI-Powered Robots to Automate Lab Experiments
Tetsuwan Scientific combines low-cost lab robots with large language models to create automated AI scientists that perform and adjust experiments without human intervention. The startup aims to eliminate the tedious manual labor that currently plagues lab technicians.
Tetsuwan Scientific is tackling the tedious manual labor of lab work by building robotic AI scientists that run experiments independently. Co-founders Cristian Ponce and Théo Schäfer bond over their shared frustrations with the repetitive tasks of genetic engineering, where technicians spend hours manually moving liquids with pipettes.
Existing lab automation robots remain too expensive, highly specialized, and difficult to reprogram when experiment parameters change. The startup initially focuses on modifying lower-cost white label robots, but a 2024 OpenAI demonstration provides the exact missing link the founders need to revolutionize their system.
After seeing GPT-4 successfully analyze a DNA gel image and diagnose a scientific error, the team realizes that large language models possess the scientific reasoning required to guide physical machines. Tetsuwan Scientific now integrates these advanced AI models with their hardware to give the software physical agency in the lab.