Anthropic claims a CRISPR-like system find; experts question the timing

In a report published by Wired's AI section on September 30, 2026, Anthropic said it has discovered a Crispr-like system. The claim quickly drew pushback from outside researchers, who focused on the timing of the announcement rather than on the finding itself. One expert pointed out that the experiments meant to back the claim are still waiting in the queue while the publicity material has already gone live, presenting that sequence as evidence the work has not yet been verified. The quote cited in the report was: "The experiments are still in the queue. The PR is already live."

The report does not name the system, describe how it works, or say who would run the experiments or when they might be finished. Anthropic's own statement, as reflected in the coverage, goes no further than the claim of discovery. As it stands, the company has announced a finding, experts say the supporting experiments have not been carried out, and no verification has been reported.