AI Won’t Replace Scientists—It Will Change How We Design Labs
Artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly influencing the future of laboratory design, yet many misconceptions remain about what these technologies mean for laboratories and the people who work in them.
In her Lab Design webinar, “How AI and Automation Are Reshaping Modern Lab Design,” Alicia Pandimos Maurer, practice leader and director of science & technology at Ware Malcomb, explored how AI and automation are changing laboratory environments—and what these technologies mean for the future of lab design. While some envision fully automated facilities replacing humans entirely, the reality is far from this.
In a Q&A with Lab Design News, Alicia explores common misconceptions about AI, the growing need for flexibility in lab design, and why the human element remains at the center of the science and technology industry.
The webinars in the Smart Design Tools & Software Digital Conference are available for free on demand viewing. AIA members can earn LU/HSW credit for select webinars.
Q: What is the biggest misconception organizations have about designing laboratories for AI and automation?
A: The biggest misconception is that AI and automation make labs smaller with fewer people; that’s not true. It can get bigger and then smaller because automation is not a static thing. Sometimes you can take a place where a lot of people used to sit and turn into one big robot. And then sometimes there are little ones. And sometimes as technology grows, it doesn’t get smaller … it gets bigger. You are not ever going to get rid of people, you’re just going to increase the efficiency of people. Sometimes people say, ‘If we’re going to all AI automation, I don’t need human laboratories anymore.’ And you do.
Q: How is AI changing scientists' day-to-day work, and what does that mean for laboratory design?
A: AI is changing scientists’ day-to-day work by decreasing the repetitive tasks that they have. So, it means instead of running the same assay 400 times a week, they’re going to run more bespoke work. I don’t know if it’s going to change the bench layout, but it does mean that they can take an idea and their first assay and go to their desk and run it through AI to figure out what their next bespoke experiment will be. So right now, people say they spend a lot of time at their bench. They don’t. I’ve seen it myself. They spend a lot of time at their desk, and I think that will continue. Half your time at your bench and half your time at your desk, where you’re taking the information and plugging it into LLM (Large Language Models) to help you figure out what your next actual bespoke experiment should be instead of running the same assay thousands of times to get the same answer. That is how it changes your day-to-day life.
Q: What is one design decision laboratory owners should make today to ensure their facilities remain adaptable over the next 10-20 years?
A: One design decision laboratory owners should make to remain adaptable over the next 10-20 years is potentially changing the modules that they have for labs. Right now, we’re at around an 11-foot module. If we increase to 12 feet, it will provide flexibility to accommodate larger robotic systems while still allowing the space to function as traditional bench space if robotics are removed in the future. I think one of the most important things to understand is that your robotics and your benches need to become interchangeable. If we can’t just have rooms for robotics and just rooms for benches anymore, we must be more flexible for our space.”
Q: How do you see AI changing laboratory design over the next five to 10 years?
A:I think my answer above (2) also applies here. AI will continue to allow scientists to remove repetitive tasks and become more focused on end and project goals. If our project needs to be done in five years, we can use AI to make that five years become three years. It means every single thing the scientist does in those three years is way more focused and way more one-off than what they’re doing right now, which are a lot of repetitive tasks to get to that end goal.
Q: If you could leave laboratory planners and owners with one key takeaway from this webinar, what would it be?
A:The number one takeaway is that AI is not getting rid of people. It’s just making them more efficient. I think people hear AI and think it’s going to take over the world. People should look up what large language models mean because they are literally a statistical prediction tool. So, if you think in terms of science, it would be 100 assays on the same thing to make sure you have it right, but if you run it into a large language model, you’re just taking all the human time out of it. I really do think people are terrified, but when you talk to actual scientists, this is what they'll tell you. AI doesn't have emotions and it can't hug you either. It can't make you excited about something. There's still a human part of everything we do.
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While AI and automation are beginning to reshape laboratory operations, it is pivotal to understand that the true value still lies in the scientists. These technologies allow researchers to focus more on their time critically thinking and problem solving rather than repetitive tasks. The future of laboratory design is defined by those who do not fear AI but seamlessly blend both advanced automation and traditional human problem-solving skills. AI can process data and repeatedly test assays, but curiosity, creativity and human insights remain at the core of scientific progress.
