AI discovers 160,000 new virus species
Using artificial intelligence (AI), details of a diverse and fundamental branch of life that lives directly beneath our feet and in every corner of the Earth have been brought to light. Using a machine learning tool, 161,979 new species of RNA viruses were discovered. Researchers are convinced that this tool could significantly improve the mapping of life on Earth and contribute to the identification of many more millions of viruses that still need to be characterized. The study, published in Cell and conducted by an international research team, is the most extensive work on the discovery of virus species ever published. "We have been opened a window to an otherwise hidden part of life on Earth, revealing remarkable biodiversity," said the lead author of the study, Professor Edwards Holmes of the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health. Although RNA viruses are often associated with...



