AI Tool Solves Superbug Mystery in 48 Hours

Google's AI tool 'Co-Scientist', based on Google's Gemini 2.0, has astonished researchers by solving a superbug mystery in just 48 hours, a problem that took scientists at Imperial College London a decade to comprehend. The AI not only confirmed the researchers' hypothesis that superbugs can transfer between species but also proposed four additional hypotheses. Professor José R Penadés expressed disbelief at the AI's rapid results, initially questioning whether Google had unauthorized access to his unpublished research, but Google assured that the AI worked independently without accessing the team's data. This breakthrough illustrates the potential of AI to significantly accelerate scientific discovery, although experimental validation of AI-generated hypotheses remains necessary. The event highlights both the promise and the potential disruption of AI in the scientific community, as researchers recognize its ability to reduce failed experiments and save resources.