Researchers are building AI-powered robot labs. What does this mean for science?

NPR | By Katia Riddle

Published May 26, 2026 at 5:26 PM EDT

Thanks to new technologies like artificial intelligence, scientists are increasingly freed from the constraints of the laboratory. It raises questions about how much humans should outsource to robots.

Katia Riddle

Katia Riddle is a correspondent at NPR covering mental health. She has reported extensively on the impact of events such as Hurricane Helene, Los Angeles wildfires and the loneliness epidemic. Prior to her current role, she covered public health including reproductive rights and homelessness. She won a 2024 Gracie Award for a series on reproductive rights.

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Researchers are building AI-powered robot labs. What does this mean for science?

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