AI vs. Evolution: Who Designs Life Better?

Move over Darwin, AI just did in minutes what nature would have needed half a billion years to accomplish...
Researchers at EvolutionaryScale used an AI model called ESM3 to create esmGFP, a fluorescent protein that doesnโt exist in nature. Unlike traditional protein engineering, which modifies existing structures, ESM3 generates novel proteins by predicting sequences beyond what evolution has explored.
The result? A protein thatโs only 58% similar to its closest natural counterpart, with 96 unique mutations that would have taken nature eons to develop.
By training on 2.78 billion natural proteins, ESM3 can fill in missing protein sequences much like a predictive text model. This method sidesteps the slow, trial-and-error nature of evolution, accelerating the discovery of new drugs, materials, and biological tools.
If AI can create new proteins faster and smarter than evolution, what are the ethical and practical implications? Should we embrace AI-driven bioengineering, or tread carefully before rewriting natureโs playbook?
Read the full article on Live Science.
----
๐ก If you enjoyed this content, be sure to download my new app for a unique experience beyond your traditional newsletter.
This is one of many short posts I share daily on my app, and you can have real-time insights, recommendations and conversations with my digital twin via text, audio or video in 28 languages! Go to my PWA at app.thedigitalspeaker.com and sign up to take our connection to the next level! ๐

If you are interested in hiring me as your futurist and innovation speaker, feel free to complete the below form.
Thanks for your inquiry
We have sent you a copy of your request and we will be in touch within 24 hours on business days.
If you do not receive an email from us by then, please check your spam mailbox and whitelist email addresses from @thedigitalspeaker.com.
In the meantime, feel free to learn more about The Digital Speaker here.
Or read The Digital Speaker's latest articles here.