AI system AlphaFold 2 has made significant strides in predicting the 3D structure of proteins from amino acid sequences, revolutionizing molecular biology. It surpasses other modeling groups in blind competitions and achieves high prediction accuracy. AlphaFold's impact on science as a whole raises questions about validation, the discovery of general principles, and the role of AI in future scientific progress.
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How is AI impacting science?Generalization and reliabilityIs a simple set of principles for protein structure possible? Might AI help us discover it?Concluding thoughtAfterword: what about messier problems, with less good data to learn from?AcknowledgmentsCitation informationFootnotesSort: