AI In Healthcare, Improving Lives One Bit At A Time
( Updated: the presentation used in the lecture can be found here )
In March 2022, I had the honor to lecture at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. This is part of Professor Mladen Kolar’s Machine Learning class where Mladen would invite industry experts to discuss some of the latest trends in AI and Machine Learning. With a group of curious MBAs asking insightful questions, I had a lot of fun discussing how AI is transforming the healthcare industry.
For those who are not able to participate in the lecture, I would like to capture some of the highlights here.
What is Good AI? Achieving Alpha through ESG
With a mission-driven thesis of doing well by doing good, we invest in technical founders who are keen on applying AI towards solving some of the acutest problems faced across industries.
In contrast to the prevalent asset-class-based ESG ( Environmental Sustainability, Social Responsibility, Governance ) investment philosophies, Good AI’s strategies are driven by our values. They have defined how we operate as a fund. We look for entrepreneurs who share the same values, which we believe are the foundation for building a very successful business.
ESG has become our secret sauce — Alpha — for finding the most successful ventures.
The Rise of Synthetic Biology
Synthetic Biology refers to the programming of cells where Reading, Writing, and Editing of DNA Sequences are being performed inside the cells. Engineering microbes such as yeasts and bacteria, leading synthetic biology startups such as Ginkgo Bioworks have been delivering impactful applications in Medicine, Consumer Products, Agriculture, Food, and Industrial materials.
Thanks to the sharp cost decline in DNA sequencing/editing/screening in recent years, synthetic biology companies are able to leverage metagenomic databases, AI and machine learning, and robust automated laboratories run by low-latency robots to manufacture the desired goods. Materials such as plastics or food products such as egg protein can now be manufactured in a much more sustainable manner.
With advances in gene-editing technology such as CRISPR, synthetic biology can also be applied to gene and cell therapies. It has truly delivered the promise of improving lives one bit at a time.
Data is Transforming Precision Medicine
The success of Precision Medicine -- tailoring of treatments and therapeutics based on patients’ profiles -- is fueled by the vast amount of data created by other advanced biotechnology, health sensors patients use at home, and the collection of information about patients’ journey in healthcare with hand-held devices.
Not unlike the data that is needed by the AI Neural Networks model, these various sources of data have created the foundation for a powerful predictive engine for liquid biopsy testing ( Guardant Health ), chronic disease management ( Livongo/Teledoc ), and MRI/CT imaging ( Circle Cardiovascular Imaging ).
Meet Aether Biomachines
Citing our portfolio Aether Biomachines, I have shown how the startup has leveraged Synthetic biology, Machine Learning, and High-Level Robotics Automation to create a scalable platform for enzymes discovery.
Diversified Pipeline as a key investment criteria
At Good AI, we place a high premium on startups that could establish a rich portfolio of pipelines. This is one of the most important criteria for our healthcare investment considerations. Whether they are building System-On-A-Chip (SoC) for precision gene/cell therapy, creating an AI Drug Discovery platform for microbiome-derived therapeutics, creating an industrial-scale Stem Cell manufacturing platform, or discovering Enzymes for Novel Products, our portfolio would all need to demonstrate their aptitude in building a diversified assets pipeline, one that could enable risk-sharing with their customers.