Anthropic’s life sciences team prompted Claude to scan a large DNA‑sequence database for uncharacterized reverse transcriptases (RTs). Over 21 hours, roughly 950 Claude agents processed 210 million tokens, extracting >200 000 RTs, generating 3 500 novel candidate systems, and ranking the 20 most promising for deeper analysis. One agent identified a tandem repeat array adjacent to an unusual RT from a jumbo phage, noting the pattern resembled CRISPR repeats. Subsequent manual review confirmed a previously uncharacterized three‑component system: the RT, a neighboring accessory protein of unknown function, and a long array of evenly spaced non‑coding DNA repeats. The repeat region is transcribed into distinct short RNAs, suggesting a programmable RNA‑based mechanism. Dubbed array‑associated reverse transcriptases (ARTs), the system is found primarily in bacteriophages and shares structural hallmarks with other programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR‑Cas) that cut, copy, or paste DNA. Early biochemical assays show ART expression in standard lab strains, but its precise enzymatic activity remains under investigation. The discovery demonstrates how AI‑driven hypothesis generation can accelerate the identification of novel biological tools, with Claude autonomously highlighting the candidate after minimal human guidance.