Artificial Intelligence May Discover the Next Blockbuster Drug

AI is revolutionizing countless industries, but its biggest impact may be felt in medicine. Machine learning has proved capable of identifying signs of disease in medical images and records, and it may become invaluable for analyzing vast genomic data sets for clues as to the origins of different disorders. Benevolent AI, headquartered in London, is working to apply the latest AI techniques to the identification and development of novel drug compounds. The company’s CEO, Ken Mulvaney, met with MIT Technology Review’s senior editor for AI, Will Knight, to discuss AI’s relevance to drug discovery and medicine, and to talk about his company’s ambitious plans.