New glowing molecule, invented by AI, would have taken 500 million years to evolve in nature, scientists say
https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/new-glowing-molecule-invented-by-ai-would-have-taken-500-million-years-to-evolve-in-nature-scientists-say
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Submission statement (from the article):
>An artificial intelligence (AI) model has simulated half a billion years of molecular evolution to create the code for a previously unknown protein, according to a new study. The glowing protein, which is similar to those found in jellyfish and corals, may help in the development of new medicines, researchers say.
>The sequence of letters that spell out the instructions to make esmGFP is only 58% similar to the closest known fluorescent protein, which is a human-modified version of a protein found in bubble-tip sea anemones (*Entacmaea quadricolor*) — colorful sea creatures that look like they have bubbles on the ends of their tentacles. The rest of the sequence is unique, and would require a total of 96 different genetic mutations to evolve. These changes would have taken more than 500 million years to evolve naturally, according to the study.
I might be considered a Luddite- but this just doesn’t seem like a good idea. As in – if nature couldn’t do this in 500 million years what makes it such a good idea to short cut something like that?
That’s crazy. Significantly different than what we know and we are starting to be able to predict these
The good ol’ treating evolution like a process with a clear direction fallacy
How exactly does a molecule “evolve”and and how would scientists know how long it would take to do so?
“Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should. ” Dr Ian Malcolm
Make the protein first and validate before publishing.
There are some very powerful computational methods out there, but until a behavior is predicted *then* demonstrated, computational results are suspect in my opinion. Equal value to an AI video clip until proven otherwise.
Kids are told not to put their fingers in the socket and they still do it.
Adults are told no to play God, and they still do it.
It seems that there really isn’t such a thing as “evolution” when it comes to becoming smarter.
Well. Let’s see if AI will be a savior or a doombringer.
I have a pretty basic, undergraduate level understanding of genetics and evolution. I am by no means an authority. But the concept of knowing how long a molecule would take to evolve naturally cokes off as such an arrogant and misguided claim to make.
it’s still a human invention, the AI is a tool, tools get used. the process this AI used is the same process i would use if i could live 200 years. we humans realized that to get a complex project completed that might take us 500 years to develop, we build tools to speed it up. humans just do not live long enough to create the wonders of the future in any single life time. So AI tools were built. I give credit the man, not AI, AI is a tool to accelerate human ingenuity.
So it didn’t invent anything, it made up a fake concept.
Ahh yes that’s what we need a glowing molecule!! Thanks AI.
Movie idea:
It’s not the AI that kills us, it invents an intelligent, hyper aggressive species that attacks mankind for dominance.
Call me Roland Emerich, I will write this movie for you.
AI was so busy with whether or not it could, that it didn’t think if it should
Makes you wonder how the antivax crowd would take this?