 "AI-powered cancer vaccines soon? Oracle's Larry Ellison reveals big plans")
Artificial Intelligence is all set to transform the healthcare landscape, offering groundbreaking solutions to the age-old health challenge. At the forefront of this innovation is the development of personalised cancer vaccines, a possibility unveiled during the launch of the Stargate Project at the White House recently. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to create personalised cancer vaccines for individuals within 48 hours, tech firm Oracle’s chairman Larry Ellison stated.
Speaking at the event, he highlighted that AI would soon enable the development of customised mRNA vaccines, tailored to combat cancer for specific patients, which could then be produced using robotic systems.
How will AI assist in detecting cancer?
Ellison explained that cancer detection could begin with small fragments of tumours present in the bloodstream. AI could assist in identifying these fragments early through a simple blood test, followed by gene sequencing of the tumour. Based on this sequencing, a vaccine could be designed to target the cancer. He emphasised that this approach could allow for early detection and rapid vaccine production, with the latter being achievable within two days.
Ellison also mentioned that robotic systems could manufacture these vaccines in a short timeframe, describing this as a transformative application of AI in healthcare.
What is an mRNA vaccine?
mRNA vaccines utilise a fragment of messenger RNA (a molecule carrying instructions from DNA) to prompt cells in the body to produce a specific protein. This protein then stimulates an immune response, enabling the immune system to recognise and target cancer cells. These vaccines are considered safe and can be developed rapidly, making them a promising tool in personalised medicine.
Trump announces investment in AI infra
During the White House event, US President Donald Trump announced a significant investment in AI infrastructure, with plans to allocate $100 billion initially and scale it up to $500 billion over the next four years. This funding is part of a private-sector initiative under the Stargate Project, a joint venture led by SoftBank, OpenAI, and MGX, with SoftBank and OpenAI as primary partners. Key technology collaborators include Arm, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and OpenAI.
The Stargate Project is expected to generate more than 100,000 jobs in the United States. At the White House event, Ellison disclosed that the first data centres, each covering half a million square feet, were already being built in Texas. A total of 20 centres are planned. Ellison noted that these centres could support AI applications in healthcare, such as analysing electronic health records to enhance patient care.
Elon Musk irked at exclusion
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, one of Donald Trump's prominent supporters and confidants, appears to have been excluded from the project. Following the White House press conference, Musk shared a pointed comment on his social media platform, X. His post hints at some level of dissatisfaction with the ambitious initiative.
In response to OpenAI's announcement about Stargate on X, Musk wrote, "They don't actually have the money ($500 billion)." In a separate post, he added, "SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority."
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Musk also interacted with X users who criticized the project. When one user speculated on a fallout between OpenAI and Microsoft, stating, "OpenAI and Microsoft are done," Musk responded, "Seems to be the case."
As the head of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, Musk also leads his own AI venture, xAI, which is in direct competition with Sam Altman's OpenAI.