NEW DELHI– Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have developed an Artificial Intelligence Lab Assistant that can independently design, conduct, and analyze scientific experiments without human intervention, the institute said on Tuesday.
The system, known as AILA, is an AI agent developed in collaboration with research partners in Denmark and Germany. It is capable of operating an Atomic Force Microscope, making real-time decisions during experiments, and analyzing results autonomously.
According to IIT Delhi, AILA can complete tasks in just 7 to 10 minutes that previously required an entire day, significantly accelerating experimental cycles and improving microscope optimization.
The institute said existing AI models have largely been limited to digital tasks such as drafting documents, answering questions, and analyzing datasets. AILA goes a step further by functioning inside a physical laboratory environment and executing experiments from start to finish, similar to a human researcher.
Indrajeet Mandal, a PhD scholar at IIT Delhi’s School of Interdisciplinary Research, said the system has transformed his daily workflow. He noted that optimizing microscope parameters for high-resolution, noise-free imaging earlier took a full day but can now be completed within minutes using AILA.
Professor N. M. Anoop Krishnan of IIT Delhi said the development marks a turning point in how artificial intelligence is applied to science. He said AI has moved beyond helping researchers write about experiments to actively designing them, operating real equipment, collecting data, and interpreting results.
Professor Nitya Nand Gosvami from the institute’s Materials Science and Engineering department said operating an Atomic Force Microscope typically requires years of training due to the complexity of nanoscale physics, surface interactions, and real-time feedback control. AILA’s ability to perform these tasks autonomously, he said, represents a major shift in experimental science.
The researchers said the breakthrough aligns with India’s broader push to integrate artificial intelligence into scientific research. The government has recently announced major funding through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation to accelerate AI-driven research initiatives nationwide.
IIT Delhi said AI-powered systems like AILA could significantly improve research efficiency, reduce experimental timelines, and reshape how scientific discovery is conducted in laboratories. (Source: IANS)
