No, AI agents did not discover a previously unknown Maya site

Scientists are growing frustrated with amateurs utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make claims of archaeological discoveries, including a recent case involving Google researcher Pietro Miotti. In an incident that has sparked criticism among archaeologists online, Miotti claimed to have discovered a previously unknown Maya site in Mexico using a team of AI agents.

However, the site had already been documented and published in an academic journal last year. This incident highlights a growing concern in scientific communities as amateurs increasingly leverage powerful AI tools without the necessary expertise to verify their findings. Local communities are often already aware of sites in their area, and Miotti intended to use lidar technology to search for undocumented sites.

After flagging several promising locations, Miotti reached out to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History to confirm the discovery's authenticity, which it had already been recorded. While Miotti, who stressed he is not an archaeologist, hailed the discovery as a testament to the potential of AI to revolutionize science, many archaeologists have criticized the oversight.

They emphasized the importance of verifying findings against existing research and acknowledged that advanced digital tools are already part of the archaeologists' toolkit. Despite the excitement, experts argue that the real challenge lies in the lack of funding for comprehensive site exploration and mapping, rather than the mere discovery of new sites.