2024: AI and scientists take turns at the wheel of drug discovery

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In drug discovery, interest in harnessing the power of AI ramped up significantly with breakthroughs like AlphaFold, where AI predicted protein structures with astounding accuracy. AI’s initial focus was analyzing existing data, with machine learning systems excelling at tasks like predicting new drug interactions, molecular behaviors, and even biological pathways, based on troves of experimental data. ML can also aid in identifying promising drug targets by using natural language processing to analyze scientific literature. 

But AI’s role is rapidly evolving. In 2024, AI is poised to transition from analyzing existing data to a more proactive drug discovery role as a predictor and collaborator. Shifts fueling the trend include the rise of generative AI, which can create novel molecular structures and predict their properties. An…

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Skynet with benefits: Can AI and humans become a drug discovery superorganism?

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Will the credit for future mega-blockbuster drugs, in some cases, go to a carefully-programmed AI discovery system connected to a “self-driving lab” that verified its potential?

Certainly, AI is hyped, but so are potential profits of potentially AI-optimized drugs. The exploding volumes of scientific data highlight a shift often overlooked: what does “inventor” even mean when human brilliance relies on AI and vast datasets no single person can comprehend? This future depends in part on connecting the dots between data experts, lab scientists with domain knowledge, and the machine learning systems capable of pattern recognition humans can’t even fathom. But the crux isn’t simply generating more data, and making it a shared, dynamic force fueling breakthrough discoveries — a force deeply integrated with computation and human expertise.

Breaking through the data bottleneck

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