A groundbreaking AI tool has accelerated a breakthrough in bacterial resistance research, solving a decade-long puzzle in just two days.
Cases of tuberculosis have increased in the UK and worldwide as the disease becomes increasingly resistant to antibiotics. A complex problem that took microbiologists a decade to understand has been solved by a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool in just two days.
A Decade of Research Solved in Just 48 Hours
Cases of tuberculosis have increased in the UK and worldwide as the disease becomes increasingly resistant to antibiotics. A complex problem that took microbiologists a decade to understand has been solved by a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool in just two days.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB is the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide.
In 2020, there were over 10 million new cases reported globally.
The bacteria that causes TB are usually spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms include persistent coughing, chest pain, and fatigue.
TB can be treated with antibiotics, but it requires a long course of medication to prevent relapse.
Professor José R Penadés and his team at Imperial College London had spent years working out why some superbugs are immune to antibiotics. They finally reached the same conclusion as the AI tool, ‘co-scientist,’ made by Google, after providing it with a short prompt asking about the core problem they were investigating.
The Shocking Discovery
Professor Penadés was shopping when he realized what the AI had done. He told the BBC that he sent an email to Google to ask if the company had access to his computer, but received confirmation that they did not. The tech giant’s tool had replicated the team’s research without accessing any private information.
The Power of AI
The full decade spent by the scientists includes the time it took to prove their research, which itself was multiple years. However, they believe that if they had had the hypothesis at the start of the project, it would have saved them years of work. Professor Penadés said that the AI tool did more than just replicate his research; it provided four additional hypotheses that made sense.
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
AI technology is based on algorithms and data analysis, enabling machines to mimic human thought processes.
The field of AI has numerous applications, including natural language processing, image recognition, and expert systems.
According to a report by Gartner, the global AI market is projected to reach $190 billion by 2025.
The Breakthrough
The researchers have been trying to understand how some superbugs get created. Their hypothesis is that the superbugs can form a tail from different viruses, which allows them to spread between species. This unique hypothesis was not published anywhere else, and nobody in the team had shared their findings.
Superbugs, also known as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are a growing concern worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 700,000 people die each year due to infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The misuse and overuse of antibiotics have contributed to this problem, allowing bacteria to develop resistance.
In the United States, it's estimated that at least 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually, resulting in 23,000 deaths.
Understanding the causes and consequences of superbugs is crucial for developing effective solutions to combat this public health threat.
Just two days later, the AI returned a few hypotheses, including its first thought: that superbugs may take tails in exactly the way the research described. The impact of this breakthrough is significant, as it could lead to new ways of tackling the spread of superbugs.
The Future of Science
Professor Penadés believes that AI will change science for the better. He understands why people worry about the impact on jobs but sees the tool as an extremely powerful resource. The researchers on the project are convinced that it will prove very useful in the future and are excited to see its potential.
