Jim Mellon’s AI and Optimism: He Wants Us To All Live Longer
It is not inevitable that we age or how fast. There are mammalian species that live for thousands of years. Coral, jellyfish, planarians, and hydra are all marine animals that do not show any signs of ageing. Some human cells also have immortal properties. A woman produces a \”new\” baby when she gives birth. Her \”germline\” (reproduction-related) cells produce a child with no signs of age.
Many people believe that the future holds significant advancements in longevity due to these and other factors, as well as the unreasonably high effectiveness of AI. These advancements are unlikely to happen without the participation of the pharmaceutical industry and the acceptance of aging as a disease by policymakers and regulators. Major pharmaceutical companies are still reluctant to consider specific anti-aging drug developments. There are encouraging signs that this reluctance is being challenged, particularly at Novartis & AstraZeneca.
Mellon estimates that there are at least 255 companies, 35 of which are publicly traded, which are specifically targeting the ageing process. Mellon believes that only a small minority are actually working to combat aging and not one of its diseases like dementia, cancer or heart disease. He compares the current state of the industry to that of the internet 20 years ago when dial-up was the norm and downloading images (or information) was as difficult as sucking through a straw. Mellon says that although the impact of longevity on us all is so great that we might expect to see progress accelerated, it’s not true. The internet didn’t have to undergo expensive and lengthy FDA trials for every step.
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/calumchace/2022/01/27/ai-and-optimism-jim-mellon-wants-us-all-to-live-longer/
