OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, participated in this project that seeks to reprogram key stem cells for rejuvenation

An artificial intelligence has been created with the goal of prolonging human life through cellular reprogramming. The artificial intelligence company OpenAI, known for developing tools like ChatGPT, has designed a model that optimizes essential proteins for cellular rejuvenation.

In collaboration with Retro Biosciences, a San Francisco-based research company dedicated to longevity, they have created the GPT-4b micro model, capable of redesigning the so-called Yamanaka factors, proteins that transform normal cells into rejuvenated stem cells, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

This breakthrough could pave the way for tissue regeneration, organ construction, and large-scale supply of replacement cells.

The process behind GPT-4b micro focuses on analyzing large amounts of biological data, including protein sequences from multiple species and their interactions. Unlike Google’s DeepMind AlphaFold model, which predicts the shape of proteins, GPT-4b is designed to suggest structural modifications that optimize their function.

This approach allowed Retro researchers to achieve results in less time and with greater precision. Joe Betts-Lacroix, CEO of Retro, stated that the model’s suggestions led to substantial improvements in Yamanaka factors, calling the breakthrough “exceptionally good,” according to MIT.

However, this method still faces challenges. Cellular reprogramming, while promising, remains inefficient: less than 1% of treated cells complete the rejuvenation process. Additionally, although initial results are encouraging, external scientists have not yet been able to validate these claims, as the companies have not yet published the full data.

Aaron Jaech, an OpenAI researcher, noted that the project is in the demonstration phase, and it has not yet been decided whether the model will be released as an independent product or integrated into OpenAI’s core systems.

What is the AlphaFold model from Google DeepMind?

AlphaFold is an artificial intelligence system developed by Google DeepMind designed to predict the three-dimensional shape that proteins adopt from their amino acid sequence.

This task, known as protein folding, is crucial to understanding how proteins function in the human body and how they interact with each other.

Proteins are essential molecules for life. They perform fundamental tasks such as transporting oxygen, defending us from diseases, or digesting food. Each protein is composed of a chain of amino acids that folds into complex and specific shapes, determining its function.

For decades, scientists faced great challenges in predicting how proteins fold, as traditional laboratory methods could take years to determine their structure.

The breakthrough of AlphaFold lies in using artificial intelligence to solve this problem in a short time. By training on enormous amounts of data about known proteins, the model analyzes patterns in amino acid sequences and predicts how they organize in three-dimensional space.

Its precision is so high that it has surpassed the capabilities of previous methods, reaching levels comparable to laboratory experiments.

The impact of AlphaFold is enormous in fields such as medicine and biotechnology. By better understanding the shapes of proteins, researchers can develop more specific drugs, design new therapies, and study diseases related to misfolded proteins, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

It is also useful in other fields, such as designing enzymes for industrial processes or researching plant proteins to improve agriculture. AlphaFold has been considered one of the most important advances in modern biology, offering a powerful and accessible tool that accelerates scientific research.