AI agents “discovering” a Maya site is called an already-published result
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Google researcher Pietro Miotti says he used 48 AI agents to analyze publicly available NASA lidar data, screening out suspected structures across about 1,200 square kilometers of jungle in Mexico and pinpointing a clifftop site that he describes as containing a plaza, an 8–12-meter-high pyramid, and courtyards. He submitted a report to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which replied that the location has no registered archaeological site. But according to The Verge, this site was published in an academic journal more than a year ago. Archaeologists criticized Miotti for not checking existing research and for mistaking “unregistered” for “undiscovered”; Miotti acknowledged that the agents struggled to match coordinates in the paper's images and has updated his blog. Whether the site is indeed a Maya ruin still awaits verification by INAH. Mexican law stipulates that archaeological sites are under federal protection and that fieldwork must be authorized by INAH, so whether to send a team is decided by the local INAH center. On this basis, Miotti had argued that the agents' capabilities have moved beyond coding and mathematics and can transfer to broader scientific research.
AI overview based on source reports · Updated 2 days ago
Developments
2 developments
- Nov 13 03:42 · 1 reportsAI agent's false report of discovering a known Maya site sparks controversyThe Verge · AI：No, AI agents did not discover a previously unknown Maya site
- Nov 11 05:04 · 2 reportsUsing AI agents to analyze NASA lidar data to discover a Maya siteHacker News AI：Google SWE points 48 AI agents at NASA Lidar, finds unmapped Maya pyramid in 72h
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- The Verge · AINo, AI agents did not discover a previously unknown Maya site
Google researcher Pietro Miotti claimed his team of 48 AI agents had found a potentially unmapped Maya site in Mexico using NASA lidar data, but the site had already been documented in an academic journal more than a year earlier. Archaeologists criticized the claim, noting that a site missing from Mexico's INAH records is not necessarily unknown, and that lidar and remote sensing have long been used in the field. Miotti, who stressed he is not an archaeologist, said he updated his post and blog to credit the earlier work and acknowledged expert knowledge is needed to verify what the agents find.
- Hacker News AIFeaturedGoogle SWE points 48 AI agents at NASA Lidar, finds unmapped Maya pyramid in 72h
A Google software engineer describes using 48 AI agents to review public NASA lidar imagery of roughly 1,200 km² of Maya jungle, flagging structures including a hilltop site with a levelled plaza, an oval pyramid at least 8–12 m tall and a possible water reservoir. After checking the literature and archives, the author sent a report to Mexico's INAH, which replied that no registered archaeological site was identified at the location. The author stresses the find is not official and offers to help with an INAH-led field check.
- Hacker News AIMy AI Agents Found an Unmapped Maya Site in Mexico
The author describes using AI agents to analyze NASA lidar data covering about 1,200 km² of jungle, where the agents flagged structures including a hilltop site with a plaza, an oval pyramid at least 8–12 m tall, a raised courtyard and a possible water reservoir. After checking the literature and archives, the author sent a report to Mexico's INAH, which replied that no registered archaeological site was identified at the location. The author, who states he is not an archaeologist, offers to help with an INAH-led field check and notes the site's identification remains unofficial.
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