#1

When you think of AI’s contributions to science, you probably think of AlphaFold, the Google DeepMind protein-folding program that earned its creator a Nobel Prize last year.

Now OpenAI says it’s getting into the science game too—with a model for engineering proteins.

The company says it has developed a language model that dreams up proteins capable of turning regular cells into stem cells—and that it has handily beat humans at the task.

The work represents OpenAI’s first model focused on biological data and its first public claim that its models can deliver unexpected scientific results. As such, it is a step toward determining whether or not AI can make true discoveries, which some argue is a major test on the pathway to “artificial general intelligence.” …

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#2

OpenAI’s new model, called GPT-4b micro, was trained to suggest ways to re-engineer the protein factors to increase their function. According to OpenAI, researchers used the model’s suggestions to change two of the Yamanaka factors to be more than 50 times as effective—at least according to some preliminary measures.

Right out of the gate, the model came up with changes to the Yamanaka factors that made them 50 times as effective.

This is absolutely nuts. The next decade is going to be absolutely nuts.

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#3

Given sam Altman’s enthusiasm for longevity biotech I expect this area to get a lot of attention.

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#4

I think a more pressing issue might be to apply this to cultured meat biotech instead. But I’m unsure. I don’t think it should be forgotten about at least.

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