In the research preview phase, MHS is primarily offered as a tool for researchers to simplify the long and complex process of writing custom software to coordinate different components of an experiment. This standard provides a common interface and a unified format for data exchange between devices, enabling them to communicate directly without the need for a dedicated "translator" program—so much so that experiment setup time can be reduced from weeks or months to hours or even minutes.
In a video released alongside the announcement, Alik Kemini, a technical specialist at Anthropic, spoke about the project drawing inspiration from the experience of neuroscientist Arkho Bast at the HHMI Janelia Research Center in Virginia. Bast managed to create a common interface for coordinating rotating lasers, microscopes, cameras, and other experimental components; his idea was that AI could run any scientific experiment in the world.