Embrace the Invisible Progress of AI

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The rapid advancement of AI technology often goes unnoticed, with many sophisticated applications embedded in everyday tools such as translation services and photo search functionalities. These once-impressive feats are now taken for granted, reflecting a shift in public perception where successful AI accomplishments are normalized and expected. This creates an irony where achievements that become commonplace are no longer recognized as AI, highlighting a disconnect between the public's awareness and the ongoing innovations in the field. Embracing this invisible progress is essential, as the pace of transformation in AI remains astonishing and continuously evolving.

How can scientists leverage AI and machine learning to more effectively research, develop, and deliver new drugs? This week, Reid and Aria talk drug development with renowned computer scientist and executive Dr. Daphne Koller, whose company, insitro, uses machine learning to improve the quality and speed of drug discovery. She addresses several ways AI and ML are already being used to redefine diseases and create better therapeutic interventions. Plus, she shares her experience transitioning from academia to industry.

Read the transcript of this episode here: https://www.possible.fm/podcasts/dkoller

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/

Topics:

00:01: Cold open

00:43: Hellos and intros

3:20: Early involvement in AI

5:00: Overview of drug discovery and its evolution over the last five years

7:50: AI and machine learning impact on biology and drug development

9:09: Pi aside defining AlphaFold

11:37: Areas of acceleration and opportunity in AI and drug discovery

17:21: Synthetic data

21:21: AI implications on therapeutic hypotheses

23:54: Personalized vs. precision medicine

27:04: Closing the data feedback loop

30:31: Exciting announcements

34:24: Privacy and data

36:41: GPT-4 story

38:48: Stuart Russell’s comments on the applications of Koller’s thesis

43:36: AI as a moving target

47:24: How can academia and industry positively impact society and humanity

51:58: insitro’s culture

54:18: - Rapid-fire questions

Select mentions:

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Stuart Russell

Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. These conversations also showcase another kind of guest: AI. Whether it's Inflection’s Pi, OpenAI’s ChatGPT or other AI tools, each episode will use AI to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.