AI agent performs autonomous brain surgery on a mouse, injecting 250 nanoliters with vet oversight
ycombinator · x · 2026-10-29
An AI agent autonomously performed gene-therapy brain surgery on a mouse model of epilepsy. Researchers gave it 19 gene therapy vectors in a spreadsheet, access to a motorized stereotaxic rig with cameras, and one goal: reduce seizures.
The agent picked the drug, chose the brain region, derived surgical coordinates from three papers, then drove the stereotaxic arms into the brain and injected 250 nanolitres while monitoring the entry site for bleeding via the rig camera.
A licensed vet gated every irreversible step and held a physical kill switch. The author also notes the agent at one point refused to let him override its decision.
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