NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

AI Just Cut Drug Development Time by 75%

AI is now designing real medicine.

At Insilico Medicine, scientists used AI to create a new drug, Rentosertib, for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)—a rare and serious lung disease that scars the lungs and makes breathing increasingly difficult.

Right now, there’s no cure, and over 3 million people around the world live with it.

Here’s the story:

• Rentosertib is the first medicine created entirely by AI to show clear benefits in a human trial.

• The trial took place at 22 hospitals in China, involving 71 patients. People were randomly given either a placebo (a “dummy” pill) or one of three different doses of Rentosertib every day for 12 weeks.

• The results were promising: patients who took the highest dose were able to breathe in about 100 mL more air, while the placebo group actually lost some lung function.

• Most side effects were mild, and serious problems were rare.

These results were published in the top medical journal Nature Medicine, making this a major step forward for AI in healthcare.

Larger trials are expected to confirm the results and ensure safety. If successful, it could lead to faster, more affordable treatments for this serious lung disease.

Why it matters: Traditionally, drug development takes 10 years and costs over $2 billion. AI helped get Rentosertib to human trials in just 2.5 years. 😲

I’ve spoken with Insilico’s CEO, Alex Zhavoronkov. He’s truly focused on testing these new drugs safely and responsibly. Follow him on LinkedIn to keep up with the latest.

Reddit Accuses Anthropic of Major Data Heist

Reddit, the massive online platform with over 100 million daily users and more than 22 billion posts and comments, has long been a go-to destination for unfiltered answers and authentic discussions. That sheer volume of user-generated content also makes it a valuable resource for training AI models.

Now, Reddit is suing AI startup Anthropic, accusing it of using Reddit’s content without permission or compensation.

In a lawsuit filed in Northern California, Reddit claims Anthropic scraped the site more than 100,000 times—even after being explicitly told to stop. The suit alleges violations of Reddit’s terms of service and says the data was used for commercial gain.

This isn’t just a one-off dispute—it’s part of a larger industry-wide reckoning:

• Reddit has struck licensing deals with companies like OpenAI and Google, allowing them to use Reddit data legally and for a fee.

• Legal battles are mounting: The New York Times is suing OpenAI and Microsoft; Sarah Silverman and other creators are taking Meta to court; musicians and publishers are also challenging AI companies over unauthorized use of creative work.

Reddit’s influence adds weight to the fight:
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman owns nearly 9% of Reddit and once served on its board. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is married to tennis legend Serena Williams, further raising the platform’s cultural profile.

Why it matters:
AI models rely on vast amounts of data—and for years, much of it has been used without compensation. As AI becomes more commercial, the pressure to pay for content is only growing.

Want to Talk to a Human? That’ll Cost You.

Klarna, the Swedish fintech giant best known for its buy-now-pay-later service, says it’s bringing humans back into customer support—as a VIP service.

Speaking at SXSW London, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said AI has helped the company cut costs and boost productivity, but there’s still value in human connection.

The company previously replaced work equivalent to 700 jobs with AI and reduced its workforce from 5,500 to around 3,000. Now, Klarna says it will use those savings to reward remaining employees and offer premium human support for customers who want it.

“It’s like paying more for something hand-stitched,” Siemiatkowski said. “There’s still value in something human.”

But some are uneasy about a future where speaking to a real person becomes a luxury. What do you think?