Anthropic has rolled out a research preview of its Model Hardware Standard, enabling AI agents to operate programmable lab and manufacturing devices and perform complex tasks.
| Photo Credit:
Dado Ruvic
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.AI agents to operate physical devicesThe 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.Enabling autonomous research workflowsBy 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.Standard designed for programmable devicesThe 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.Published on August 28, 2026
