Google Unveils Major AI Breakthrough in Cancer Research

AI Riddle:

I can fly without wings.
I can cry without eyes.
Whenever I go, darkness flies.
What am I?

Today’s Motive:

• 🧑‍🔬 Google DeepMind’s Wet Lab makes major advancements in the medical field.

• 🤖  China is preparing for a pivotal impact on the humanoid front. How big will this get?

• 📜 Council of Europe crafts first ever global AI treaty. How’s signing?

AI NEWS

⚕️ AlphaProteo: Revolutionary AI Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment.

 🩺 AlphaProteo, a new AI system from Google DeepMind Wet Labs, designs proteins that successfully bind to target molecules, with the potential for advancing drug design, disease understanding, and more.
Full article from Google DeepMind, here.

Summary:

• AlphaProteo is the first AI system specifically engineered to generate novel, high-affinity protein binders, a powerful tool for health and biological research.

• Unlike earlier tools such as AlphaFold, which was limited to predicting protein structures, AlphaProteo actively designs robust protein binders.

• The system demonstrates remarkable performance, achieving binding affinities 3 to 300 times stronger than current methods.

• Binding affinities were achieved across seven tested target proteins, including VEGF-A—a protein associated with cancer and complications from diabetes.

• Some binders designed by AlphaProteo effectively block SARS-CoV-2 and its variants from infecting cells.

The Motive:

This breakthrough positions protein design as a pivotal technology for accelerating drug discovery, enhancing diagnostic tests for viruses, supporting sustainable manufacturing, and offering immense potential for future scientific advancements. It also saves valuable time and research costs.

The rapid expansion of AI into various fields raises important ethical considerations, check out this article here.

However, AI's application in healthcare and medicine is yielding transformative results. AI is revolutionizing patient care, expediting the discovery of cures, and even aiding in complex surgical procedures. It is only a matter of time before AI systems become integral to the medical industry.

AI HUMANOIDS

🤖 China's Rapid Expansion in Humanoid Robot Production.

 🤖 At the World Robot Conference in Beijing, more than two dozen Chinese-based companies showed off their humanoid robot designs. China is making some huge moves in the humanoid industry to keep pace with Tesla’s Optimus project.
For further reading, checkout this article from reuters.com by Kevin Krolicki, here.

Summary:

• The current industries being infiltrated by Chinese humanoids are warehouses, factories, and EV assembly lines.

• China's influence on the market comes from deep supply chains, government support, and ruthless price competition.

• There is a global market forecast for humanoid robots to reach $38 billion by 2035 and nearly 1.4 million shipments for consumer and industrial applications.

• Some of China's biggest humanoid manufacturers include UBTech Robotics, Unitree Robotics, Xiaomi, Agibot, and many more.

• Some say Tesla has a current advantage on AI and humanoids, but China has the pricing ability. While Tesla may start producing Optimus humanoids by next year, large-scale humanoid production may still be some time away.

The Motive:

China is diving deep into the humanoid market with a certain skill set and foundation that may push competition out the door.

Chinese companies are gaining the ability to manufacture humanoids at low cost due to wages and robust supply chains.

The Chinese have long been leaders in global tech production and see the humanoid market as their new endeavor.

AI ETHICS

📜 Historic Milestone: The World's First International AI Treaty Signed.

 ✒️ The Council of Europe has launched the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225), marking the world's first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence.
The treaty was opened for signatures at the Council of Europe Ministers of Justice conference in Vilnius. Full article here.

Summary:

• It is the first-ever international legally binding treaty ensuring AI systems are consistent with human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

• The treaty establishes a legal framework governing the entire lifecycle of AI systems, balancing the promotion of AI innovation with mitigating potential risks to fundamental rights.

• It mandates that AI systems respect citizens’ equality and privacy rights, providing legal recourse for those affected by AI-related rights violations.

• The Framework Convention was signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Moldova, San Marino, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United States of America, and the European Union.

• However, while the treaty includes monitoring for compliance, specific enforcement measures, such as fines, have yet to be established, and compliance with the treaty is currently only enforced via monitoring.

The Motive:

A signed treaty about the global framework for AI privacy and security seems like a great idea, the punishable outcomes of said treaty are nothing at this point.

Thus, raising more questions than actual answers. Who is doing the monitoring, and will this turn into a treaty that punishes some but not others for the same offenses?

Meanwhile, countries and states are busy crafting their own frameworks for safe AI. How will international laws and more localized policies play together?

Many believe we may be pushing AI tech companies overseas as too many rules may stifle innovation. There are many countries not wanting to sign this treaty at this time. How will the current situation change if we become bogged down in regulations while other countries advance?