Adam formulates hypotheses, devises and conducts experiments, interprets the results and discovers new scientific knowledge – all without help from scientists. The catch? Adam is no mortal, he’s a robot. <\/p>\n
The "robot scientist" has become the first machine capable of coming up with experiments and analysing their results without human help, according to research to be published on Friday. <\/p>\n
The robot Adam was created by scientists at Aberystwyth University in Wales and the University of Cambridge in England. <\/p>\n
Thanks to its artificial intelligence, Adam has discovered new scientific knowledge without human intervention, lead researcher Ross King of Aberystwyth University said in the journal Science. <\/p>\n
"Because biological organisms are so complex, it is important that the details of biological experiments are recorded in great detail," King said. <\/p>\n
"This is difficult and irksome for human scientists, but easy for robot scientists." <\/p>\n
Adam was tasked with studying the genomics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a baker’s yeast which scientists use to model more complex life forms. <\/p>\n
The researchers conducted independent experiments that verified the robot’s findings. <\/p>\n
Such artificial intelligence is growing in importance as the scientific process becomes more computerised and automated. <\/p>\n
The huge increase in scientific data requires a concurrent increase in the use of computers to interpret and analyse the data. <\/p>\n
Robot scientists could one day work side by side with their human counterparts. <\/p>\n
"Robot scientists could provide a useful tool for managing such data and knowledge, making scientific procedures easier and more efficient," said Profesor Douglas Kell, who heads Britain’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council which funds scientific research. <\/p>\n
Adam is a prototype, and King’s team is at work on a follow-up robot, named Eve, which they say holds promise for scientists seeking new drugs to fight diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis.<\/p>\n