In a bold prediction, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, has proposed that artificial intelligence (AI) could help eliminate all diseases within the next decade. Speaking in a recent CBS 60 Minutes interview, Hassabis explained that AI’s ability to speed up drug development could drastically transform healthcare.
“On average, it takes ten years and billions of dollars to develop just one drug. We could maybe reduce that down to months or even weeks,” he said, emphasizing how AI’s capabilities can accelerate medical breakthroughs.
This isn’t mere speculation. DeepMind’s AI has already made impressive strides, mapping 200 million protein structures in a single year—a task that traditionally took decades. Hassabis believes this level of speed and efficiency could be replicated in drug development, potentially leading to faster, more targeted treatments for diseases.
Hassabis envisions a future where AI not only assists in understanding diseases but helps design drugs and treatments much more rapidly. By mapping proteins and understanding their functions, AI can pinpoint how diseases disrupt these structures and find ways to fix them.
However, this vision of AI-powered healthcare isn’t without its challenges. While the potential is clear, ethical concerns loom large. Hassabis acknowledges the risks of AI being misused by malicious actors or becoming too autonomous. As AI systems continue to evolve, keeping them aligned with human values and ensuring their responsible use will be crucial.
Hassabis, who also advises the UK government on AI policy, is committed to ensuring that the benefits of AI in healthcare are maximized while keeping risks in check. Developing safety protocols and regulatory frameworks will be critical as AI plays a larger role in medicine.
Despite these concerns, Hassabis remains optimistic. His prediction that AI could help cure all diseases is grounded in the real-world success of DeepMind’s AI, which has already revolutionized how we approach medical research. In 2024, Hassabis and his colleague John Jumper were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on AI-driven protein structure prediction, a groundbreaking achievement that has opened new frontiers in biology and medicine.
As AI continues to improve, it could become a core component of the healthcare system, enabling faster diagnoses, personalized treatments, and more efficient drug development. The next decade will be crucial in determining if these possibilities can be fully realized.
