In praise of AI hallucinations: They help speed up research.

William J. Broad, How Hallucinatory A.I. Helps Science Dream Up Big Breakthroughs, NYTimes, December 23, 2024.

The public image of science is coolly analytic. Less visibly, the early stages of discovery can teem with hunches and wild guesswork. “Anything goes” is how Paul Feyerabend, a philosopher of science, once characterized the free-for-all.

Now, A.I. hallucinations are reinvigorating the creative side of science. They speed the process by which scientists and inventors dream up new ideas and test them to see if reality concurs. It’s the scientific method — only supercharged. What once took years can now be done in days, hours and minutes. In some cases, the accelerated cycles of inquiry help scientists open new frontiers.

“We’re exploring,” said James J. Collins, an M.I.T. professor who recently praised hallucinations for speeding his research into novel antibiotics. “We’re asking the models to come up with completely new molecules.”*

The A.I. hallucinations arise when scientists teach generative computer models about a particular subject and then let the machines rework that information. The results can range from subtle and wrongheaded to surreal. At times, they lead to major discoveries.

In October, David Baker of the University of Washington shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering research on proteins — the knotty molecules that empower life. The Nobel committee praised him for discovering how to rapidly build completely new kinds of proteins not found in nature, calling his feat “almost impossible.”

In an interview before the prize announcement, Dr. Baker cited bursts of A.I. imaginings as central to “making proteins from scratch.” The new technology, he added, has helped his lab obtain roughly 100 patents, many for medical care. One is for a new way to treat cancer. Another seeks to aid the global war on viral infections. Dr. Baker has also founded or helped start more than 20 biotech companies.

There's much more at the link.

H/t Tyler Cowen.

*From the linked discussion: "... it's really more directing the hallucinations, right? Really looking to see can we harness the imagination of the models in order to move them forward in very creative design manners.