They didn't seem to want to help the ants. They were just completing their study (confirming that the ants weren't able to find an exit on their own instead of

They didn't seem to want to help the ants. They were just completing their study (confirming that the ants weren't able to find an exit on their own instead of eg. chemical residues in the ventilation shaft), and confirming the colony they came from. I fail to see any empathy on the actions taken.