AI is already discovering new cures

As part of a wide-ranging conversation on the GZERO World podcast, oncologist and Pulitzer prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee walks Ian Bremmer through one of the most groundbreaking uses of AI in medicine today: generative drug discovery. It’s not just about speeding up research—it’s about creating entirely new molecules that no human has ever seen.

Using AI, researchers can now analyze the shape of a dysfunctional protein—like one found in a cancer or autoimmune cell—and generate chemical compounds that could bind to and modify its behavior. “This is true generative chemistry,” Mukherjee says. “Every time we do this in collaboration with a machine, the machine learns it, and it learns it forever.”

The process is like solving a puzzle with a million possible pieces. With each failure, the AI learns more, narrowing down candidates until it finds a match. It’s already produced new antibiotics with never-before-seen structures—and Mukherjee believes this is just the beginning of a medical revolution.

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).

New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.