Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis announced that AI-designed drugs are expected to enter clinical trials by the end of 2025. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he highlighted the advancements achieved by Isomorphic Labs, a venture established by Alphabet to revolutionize drug discovery using AI.
The announcement underscores how AI is transforming the pharmaceutical sector, with models like AlphaFold predicting protein structures at unprecedented speeds, solving challenges that once took years.
Hassabis emphasized that AI’s role in science extends beyond language models. AlphaFold has successfully predicted the structures of over 200 million proteins, work that would have taken traditional methods billions of years.
The latest version, AlphaFold3, goes further by analyzing protein interactions with DNA, RNA, and other molecules, pushing the boundaries of personalized medicine. He envisions future breakthroughs where AI identifies how mutations alter protein functions, paving the way for drugs tailored to individual metabolisms.
Ardem Patapoutian, a neuroscientist and Nobel laureate, shared insights on AI’s potential to unravel the mysteries of the brain.
He noted that while current tools can predict simple behaviors, understanding complex neural patterns remains elusive. AI may hold the key to deciphering brain functions and consciousness, bridging gaps that decades of research have yet to address.
Looking ahead, Hassabis envisions creating a virtual cell simulation to revolutionize biological research. Such a tool could map proteins in their natural cellular environments, offering deeper insights into their functions.
He explained that beyond public datasets, his team generates synthetic data and develops algorithms requiring minimal training data, mirroring human learning processes.
On artificial general intelligence (AGI), Hassabis remains optimistic but realistic, estimating its arrival within five to ten years. Key milestones include achieving reasoning and creative abilities akin to human ingenuity.
