A man in Sydney wanted to save his dog, Rosie, from terminal cancer. He had no background in biology or medicine.
He used ChatGPT to find the right researchers, AlphaFold to explore the protein structure driving the tumour, and Grok to help draft an mRNA vaccine concept. Researchers then turned that into a real treatment.
Within months, Rosie received a personalised cancer vaccine. The largest tumour reportedly shrank 75%.
Most of the AI conversation is still about chatbots, image generators, and agents. Fair enough. But some of the most consequential work is quieter. AlphaFold has mapped 200 million protein structures. AI models are identifying drug candidates in days instead of years. Genomics, materials science, climate modelling: same pattern.
What made it work was the combination. Each model for what it does best, knowing which to reach for when.
We're paying a lot of attention to what AI can write and draw. We might be underestimating what it can solve.
© 2026 Thomas Wainwright