Many headlines surrounding AI are about deepfakes, disinformation, and scams. So every now and then it’s nice to shout about the positive impact AI is having, and there’s no better place to start than in the world of science.
Researchers at MIT have used generative AI to design two new antibiotics in the hope of eliminating drug-resistant superbugs like gonorrhoea and MRSA, which are responsible for over a million deaths per year.
A decades-long losing battle against antibiotic resistance could now see the human race turn a corner with the help of AI. With MIT training AI models to design new antibiotics, the two completely new antibiotics they have created have been proven to work in both the laboratory and in infected mice. To read more on this study please read the article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr94xxye2lo
As promising as this is in the long term, these drugs will still be years away from being available for humans. However, that is many years closer to a potential solution to superbugs than we would be without the use of AI.
At AI Aware, we spend our time helping detect harmful AI content, but this is an important reminder that when AI is used by the right people, in the right context, it can potentially be life-saving.