Hopes high around the world for AI-designed flu vaccine

From the U.S. by way of the Land Down Under comes a “turbo-charged” flu vaccine created by AI.

The project’s lead researcher, Nikolai Petrovsky of Flinders University in Australia, tells Britain’s Daily Telegraph that America’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is recruiting around 240 volunteers willing to give it a go.

These co-pioneers will make the vaccine the first AI-designed drug to be tested on humans, he points out.

“AI has been progressively used in clinical decision-making—which drugs should I use for which patient,” Petrovsky says. “But drug design has been considered such a difficult thing to do it was thought to be beyond the capability of current AI. But we’ve shown that we can do it.”

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Dave Pearson

Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.

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