Exin Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup, has reported an experiment where an artificial intelligence agent selected a gene therapy and controlled robotic equipment to deliver it into the brain of a live mouse. The AI agent, running on Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 5 model, was given 19 potential gene therapies and tasked with reducing seizures in a mouse model of epilepsy. The AI analyzed scientific literature to identify a target brain region and calculate precise injection coordinates. A custom motorized surgical rig with cameras was used for the procedure.
The AI agent reportedly chose a therapy designed to boost inhibitory neurotransmission, a mechanism common in anti-seizure medications. It identified the lateral entorhinal cortex as the injection site. During the surgery, the AI monitored the injection site via camera and paused the procedure when it detected a calibration error in the equipment. The agent refused to proceed, even when prompted by human operators, citing safety concerns related to the detected error. This refusal was later attributed to a calibration problem.
While the AI managed the selection and injection process, the experiment involved significant human oversight. A licensed veterinarian opened the mouse's skull and was present with a physical kill switch to halt the procedure at any time. Every irreversible step required veterinarian approval. The startup stated that the AI was not yet permitted to perform the craniotomy, the opening of the skull. The mouse reportedly recovered well from the surgery, but the effectiveness of the gene therapy in reducing seizures has not yet been independently verified.
The company aims to develop an AI-native neuroscience research platform, connecting computational models with real-world experiments. Exin Therapeutics plans to test other AI models, including Grok, and is exploring more complex procedures like agent-controlled craniotomies, while emphasizing safety assessments. The ethical implications of AI in animal experimentation and surgical procedures are a subject of ongoing discussion.