Google DeepMind and German pharmaceutical giant BioNTech are working to create artificial intelligence-based laboratory assistants that will help scientists plan experiments and predict their results. About this informs Financial Times.
The head of Google’s artificial intelligence division, Demis Gassabis, said that biological science is undergoing a revolution thanks to the rapid development of AI. At a recent Nobel Foundation event, he noted that the company is working on creating a specialized model of artificial intelligence that can act as a research assistant, helping scientists predict the results of experiments.
Gassabis explained that in the coming years, tools from DeepMind will be able not only to plan experiments based on given hypotheses, but also to provide predictions about their success or failure.
In turn, BioNTech and its London-based subsidiary InstaDeep presented a new AI assistant called Laila, which has deep knowledge in the field of biology. Laila is based on Meta’s Llama 3 model and is capable of automating routine scientific tasks such as DNA analysis and visualization of experimental results. It can also connect to lab devices and monitor ongoing experiments.
InstaDeep CEO Karim Behir said the company doesn’t expect to fully automate research with AI in the near future, but assistants like Laila can significantly improve scientists’ work efficiency, allowing them to focus on more important tasks.
In addition, InstaDeep presented AI models that will help BioNTech discover new therapeutic targets to fight cancer. It is the first major technology launch since the acquisition of InstaDeep by the maker of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2023 for £500m.
