AI’s Role in Solving Major Scientific Challenges

The field of AI has undergone significant changes in recent years, witnessing the emergence of systems like ChatGPT that have attracted substantial investments and led to the establishment of numerous start-ups. However, the power of AI extends beyond creating chatbots. In fact, AI has quietly been instrumental in solving some of the most significant problems we face for decades, and it is now poised to contribute to the pursuit of commercially viable nuclear fusion power.

Google’s DeepMind is a company that has consistently demonstrated its ability to solve real-world problems. One of its notable achievements is in the field of protein folding. For many years, scientists struggled to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins based on their sequences of amino acids, often taking years to solve a single structure. However, last year, DeepMind made a groundbreaking announcement – its AI, AlphaFold, predicted the structure of nearly all known proteins in just 18 months. This achievement has revolutionized biology by providing valuable insights that aid in various areas, including the development of new malaria treatments and the creation of enzymes capable of breaking down plastic waste.

Pushmeet Kohli, a researcher at DeepMind, emphasizes that there is much more to be explored beyond protein structure prediction. Mapping protein dynamics, accelerating protein design, and understanding the impact of protein mutations associated with diseases like cancer are all areas where AI can play a significant role.

Furthermore, AI is making important progress in addressing the challenges associated with…