Anthropic unveils new framework allowing AI agents to operate physical devices

Anthropic on Thursday rolled out a research preview of "Model Hardware Standard", a framework for AI agents to operate physical devices in scientific research and ‌advanced manufacturing.

The ⁠MHS ⁠enables AI agents to operate lab ​and manufacturing instruments such as microscopes and robotic ​arms in tandem and perform complex tasks, ranging from routine drug ​discovery experiments to ⁠laser calibration ‌on a quantum computer, ​Anthropic ​said.

By integrating agentic AI ⁠capabilities with lab and manufacturing hardware, ​the Claude chatbot maker aims ​to help researchers and engineers execute autonomous, round-the-clock workflows with minimal human intervention, helping speed up processes.


The standard, Anthropic said, ‌works on any device that has a programmable interface and ​allows ​devices and ⁠agents to communicate across networks.

The company said it is sharing an early version ​of the MHS with partners to help build out safety evaluations before making it open source.