Steven Salzberg says AI in biology is starting to look like pseudoscience. I’m seeing something else.
Steven Salzberg is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins with a 167 h-index (read: world class), genuine contributions to genomics, and a long track record of calling out real pseudoscience - anti-vaxxers, homeopathy - and gain-of-function recklessness.
His recent piece argues that AI foundation models for biology are biologically implausible, largely unfalsifiable, and built backwards - solutions in search of problems. He compares the dynamic to homeopathy and acupuncture.
While I’ve been following the AI x biology field for a long time, since I started BAIO six weeks ago my view right now is a lot more detailed. Across 13 issues I’ve provided over 60 news stories.
And from where I’m standing, the landscape looks somewhat different compared to what Salzberg is seeing.
So here's where I think he's right, where the evidence has moved past him, and where the truth is uncomfortable for both sides.