UK Tech Leaders Say AI Will Discover Cancer Treatments Delayed by Chip Shortages
Owners of the UK’s largest technology companies have stated that artificial intelligence (AI) will find cures for cancers currently undiscoverable within our lifetimes. Rene Haas, CEO of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm Holdings, described the current state of understanding how DNA markers affect cancer as “very complex” and expressed confidence that computers will “solve” this in the future. In an interview, Haas said AI will spearhead the development of widespread humanoid robots within the next five years, but progress is currently hindered by a shortage of essential chips. However, he expressed skepticism about the prospects for chip manufacturing in the UK.
Arm produces CPUs embedded in microchips found in hundreds of buildings, cars, smartwatches, and gadgets worldwide. Earlier this past summer, with advancements in AI, the company’s share price made it the most valuable UK-based company in history. Haas resigned from the board of British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca in April. Speaking on a prominent podcast, he said, “AI will… find treatments for cancers that neither we nor anyone else in our lifetime can discover today. I firmly believe AI will help cure cancer within our lifetime.” The process of creating cell and human samples and understanding how DNA markers are affected is exceedingly complex – a challenge not only for humans but also for computers running AI.
“But when we provide those computers with numerous samples and perform more advanced computations on them, the computers will be able to find solutions,” he explained. Haas also holds a significant role in Japan’s SoftBank, which has invested in technology including OpenAI. Professor Chris Bakleh from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, added that the crucial factor is not whether to use AI but what data it is fed. “It’s not internet-collected data, nor does it require massive data centers to run. The future of medical AI lies not in building bigger computers but in making the right measurements.” He emphasized, “This will reduce the time to develop new treatments by years and provide real benefits to patients.”
Addressing concerns over job losses, Haas called such fears “exaggerated,” noting, “Predictions that jobs will be lost and fully replaced by machines are somewhat overstated,” and said that more new opportunities will open up in comparison.
Haas also discussed plans for massive “multi-gigawatt” data centers in France and the US, plus concepts of placing data centers in space. “We are in a supply-limited environment. Can you get enough chips? Before placing data centers in space, we need many more chip factories.” However, he doubted that the current production, largely centered around Taiwan’s chip giant TSMC, will eventually shift to the UK. Nevertheless, the government is engaged in talks with industry about bringing portions of certain chip supply chains to the UK.