Does Artificial Intelligence Design New Drugs Or Discover Them?

BEGIN ARTICLE PREVIEW: What is discovery? In mathematics, there is this age-old question of whether new math is discovered or invented. It makes sense to ask the same sort of question about modern drug discovery. When using artificial intelligence to identify drug candidates, are these new drug candidates being developed, or simply exposed through a process of narrowing down the possibilities using mathematics and science? Are these new drug candidates discovered or designed? Or maybe it’s a distinction without a difference. Biotechnology company Moderna protocol files for COVID-19 vaccinations are kept at the Research … [+] Centers of America in Hollywood, Florida, on August 13, 2020. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANN