In those five years, AlphaFold 2 and its successor AI models have become almost as fundamental and ubiquitous tools of biochemical research as microscopes, petri dishes, and pipettes. The AI models have begun to transform the way scientists search for new medicines, promising faster and more successful drug development. And they are starting to help scientists work on solutions to everything from ocean pollution to creating crops that are more resilient to climate change.
Silicon Valley's obsession with software has created a blind spot, and it might be where the next AI revolution begins, said Reid Hoffman. The LinkedIn cofounder said on an episode of the a16z podcast published Monday that the tech industry's "everything should be done in software" mindset has become a limitation. That belief, which fueled decades of Silicon Valley success, now risks keeping innovators from seeing new opportunities, Hoffman said.