RCT finds LLMs fail to significantly boost novices' end-to-end wet-lab skills

anshulkundaje · x · 2026-09-17

ActiveSiteBio ran a randomized controlled trial testing whether LLMs help novices perform molecular biology in a wet lab.

Results: LLMs may help in some aspects, but showed no significant improvement on core end-to-end tasks — below what experts predicted. Full findings shared in a thread, challenging the narrative that AI dramatically accelerates hands-on biology training.

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