Anthropic Claude Science: AI Drug Discovery Stocks Tumble

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has launched a new software tool called Claude Science. This tool automates research workflows for scientists, aiming to free them from repetitive laboratory operations. Claude Science became available to users on Tuesday. It can automate tasks in biology and chemistry, including complex work like protein structure prediction. The tool integrates over 60 scientific databases, letting users ask questions in natural language and get comprehensive answers from a single interface. It's currently in beta for paid users. Anthropic also announced an internal preclinical drug discovery project. The head of their life sciences division, Eric Kauderer-Abrams, says this initiative will target areas traditional sectors might find unattractive, using AI for new drug development opportunities. Following these announcements, shares of several drug discovery-related companies fell sharply. Schrodinger Inc. dropped 8.3%, Recursion Pharmaceuticals Inc. declined 3.3%, and IQVIA fell more than 2.3%. This mirrors a previous event in February when Anthropic launched a legal automation tool, causing a significant market capitalization drop in legal technology stocks. The market reaction shows growing concerns about AI-driven research disrupting traditional business models.