AI scientists now run a Stanford lab

PLUS: ChatGPT’s new tutor mode and Meta’s billion-dollar talent grab

Welcome back, AI’ers!

Here’s What’s On The Menu For Today

  • Stanford's AI lab that automates discovery

  • ChatGPT’s new tutor mode

  • Meta’s new mission for personal superintelligence

  • Meta’s billion-dollar AI talent grab

AI ON MY MIND

Happy Wednesday,

Researchers at Stanford have created a virtual lab where AI agents are now taking on the role of scientists. These autonomous systems are designing and executing their own experiments, dramatically accelerating the pace of biomedical discovery.

The AI team has already produced viable nanobody designs to target COVID-19 variants with minimal human input.

By the way, I've been getting questions about how AI works in practice, so I'm launching a separate newsletter that dives deeper into real business applications and practical advice. [Click here if you're interested].

-Jelani Fuel (Co-founder of Best of AI)

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TODAY’S TOP STORIES

Stanford's AI Lab Automates Discovery

The Recap: Researchers at Stanford and the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub have created a "virtual lab" where AI agents act as scientists. These autonomous agents design experiments and produce results, dramatically accelerating the pace of biomedical discovery.

Unpacked:

  • The virtual lab is structured with specialized roles, including an AI principal investigator that guides the research process from start to finish.

  • In a notable early success, the system produced viable nanobody designs to target COVID-19 variants with minimal human input.

  • The AI team handles the entire scientific method, from designing and debating experiments to generating lab-ready results in days instead of months.

Bottom line: This project signals a major shift toward autonomous systems leading scientific discovery. The approach could dramatically lower the time and cost barriers for breakthroughs in medicine and beyond.

ChatGPT Becomes Your Tutor

The Recap:  OpenAI has launched 'Study Mode' for ChatGPT, transforming the AI from an answer engine into a personal tutor that guides users through problems instead of just solving them.

Unpacked:

  • Study Mode uses Socratic questioning to prompt you with hints and follow-up questions, encouraging you to think through problems step-by-step.

  • This feature is OpenAI's direct response to the “cheatGPT” problem, aiming to make the tool genuinely useful for learning rather than just for copying answers.

  • The tool was developed with educators and is partnering with Stanford's SCALE Initiative to study its long-term impact on learning outcomes.

Bottom line: This marks a significant pivot for OpenAI, positioning its flagship product as a responsible partner in education. Its ultimate success now depends on whether students will opt for guided learning when a direct answer is just a click away.

MY FAVORITE AI TOOLS

Relevance is my favorite AI tool right now (even more so than N8N).

Here’s why:

It’s an AI agent building tool that doesn’t require you to build out the logic using nodes. Instead, you use natural language to build out these agents. But the best thing imo is that you can build AI Agent teams.

Like agents talking to each other completing a goal until its done. It’s nuts. No other tool on the market is doing this. You have to check it out.

(Try it out →Link)

👾 AI Tools We Use Everyday

➡️ N8N for AI Agents - Literally use this everyday to write this newsletter (link)

➡️ Axiom AI - AI Browser automation to scrape anything on the web (link)

➡️ GummySearch - AI Reddit research (link)

Tools are sourced from our database and are not sponsored or affiliated.

MORE STORIES

Meta's New Mission: Personal Superintelligence

The Recap: Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled Meta's new core mission: building "personal superintelligence" designed to empower individuals. This strategic shift is backed by an aggressive talent acquisition strategy and billions in infrastructure investment, aiming to set Meta's vision apart from its competitors.

Unpacked:

  • Zuckerberg frames this as a tool for individual empowerment, distinguishing it from visions where AI automates all work, potentially leading to a future reliant on universal basic income.

  • Meta's commitment is backed by immense capital, including a recent $14.3 billion investment in the data-labeling firm Scale AI to support its large-scale AI development.

  • The company is also on an aggressive hiring spree, recently poaching several top AI researchers from Apple's foundational models team for its Superintelligence Labs.

Bottom line: Meta is making a clear and costly bet to define the next era of AI on its own terms, directly challenging the narratives set by its rivals. This intense competition for talent and resources signals an acceleration in the development of powerful, personalized AI tools for everyone.

OTHER NEWS YOU MAY LIKE

Palo Alto is acquiring cybersecurity firm CyberArk for $25 billion, a landmark deal aimed at tackling security threats in the AI era.

Google agreed to sign the EU's voluntary AI code of practice, committing to measures like labeling deepfakes and combating AI-driven disinformation.

YouTube is deploying machine learning technology in the U.S. to automatically identify teen accounts and apply additional safety protections based on user activity.

xAI is teasing a new Grok video generator, with an employee claiming it will feature a 'spicy' mode for more edgy or controversial outputs.

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THAT’S IT FOR TODAY

Until next time, stay safe.

-Best of AI Team

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