Google researcher claims AI found Maya site but it was known

Miotti used AI to search lidar data

Pietro Miotti, a Google researcher, utilized a team of 48 artificial intelligence agents to analyze NASA lidar data. He initially searched Peru but shifted focus to the Maya region because public data coverage was insufficient there. The agents flagged numerous locations, including one major village that appeared unregistered in existing records. Miotti described this work as a personal side project completed without any official Google compute resources or support.

The site was already documented publicly

Miotti contacted Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History to verify the finding after his agents flagged the location. The institute replied that it held no record of a registered site at that specific coordinate. However, archaeologists noted the site had been published in an academic journal more than twelve months prior. Miotti admitted he was not an archaeologist and stated the discovery required verification through physical fieldwork before acceptance.

Experts criticize lack of peer review

Sarah Parcak, a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, emphasized the necessity of checking findings against existing research. She argued that a missing database entry does not prove a site is unknown or unmapped to the public. Additional archaeologists condemned the initiative for disseminating false information and stripping recognition from experts who have utilized digital instruments for many years. Miotti expressed excitement about his personal project despite the backlash regarding the oversight in his verification process.