Google's AI tool solves a bug in 48 hours what scientists took 10 years to discover

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The way AI is advancing is both impressive and concerning. It’s impressive because it can handle complex tasks, but concerning because it could put human jobs at risk if it continues to grow at this pace.

Recently, scientists from Imperial College London were left speechless when Google’s AI tool, “co-scientist,” solved a problem in just 48 hours.The scientists had taken over a decade to solve the same problem.

As per a report by BBC, professor Jose R Penades and his team at Imperial College London had been studying superbugs—bacteria that resist antibiotics. They wanted to know how these bugs became so powerful. After years of research, they found that superbugs can “borrow” parts from viruses, like a thief taking a key to unlock new doors. This trick helps them spread between different animals and people, making infections harder to treat. However, it took them a decade to find that out.

Professor Penadés decided to give Google’s “co-scientist” a challenge after he learnt about Google’s new AI tool. He provided a short description of the problem to the AI tool. Just two days later, the AI gave him an answer—one that matched the research his team had spent years proving. But that wasn’t all. The AI also suggested four other ideas, one of which the team had never even thought of. Now, they’re exploring that idea too.

How did the AI do it?

The AI didn’t have access to the team’s research. It wasn’t reading unpublished papers or hacking into computers. It simply analyzed patterns, made connections, and figured out the answer. Professor Penadés was so shocked that he emailed Google, asking if they had somehow peeked into his files. They assured him they hadn’t.

This discovery raises big questions. Will AI replace scientists? Take away jobs? Professor Penadés doesn’t think so. Instead, he sees AI as a tool that can speed up discoveries and suggest new ideas. “This will change science,” he said. “It’s like having a super-smart teammate who works incredibly fast.”