Rene Haas, CEO of Arm Holdings, stated in an interview with the BBC that artificial intelligence (AI) could help find a cure for cancer that would not be discovered by humans during their lifetimes. According to the executive, advancements in computers and the ability to feed models with more data should allow solving problems currently considered too complex.
Haas made the statements on the podcast Big Boss Interview by the BBC. In the same interview, he also stated that the expansion of AI is being hindered by the shortage of chips necessary for building data centers and predicted a widespread presence of humanoid robots in different sectors in the next five years.
AI still faces limits in modeling cancer
According to Haas, tasks such as modeling a cell, digitally reproducing a human being, or understanding how a DNA marker is affected by cancer are still complex for both people and the computers used by AI systems.
However, the executive believes this scenario should change as more models are integrated into computers and the machines used to run them become more sophisticated.
The assessment was accompanied by Chris Bakal, professor at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, and CEO of Sentinal4D. For him, the central issue currently is no longer whether AI will be used, but which data will be provided to the systems.
Bakal stated that researchers in laboratories like his train AI systems with data generated from patient samples. According to him, this type of approach can reduce the time needed to develop new treatments.
Lack of chips limits AI expansion
Haas also linked the current shortage of components to the expansion of artificial intelligence systems. According to the executive, there is a restriction in the supply of chips of different types, which hinders the construction of new data centers.
He cited large data center projects in France and the United States, as well as plans for installations in space. To make such structures viable, he said it is necessary to increase the capacity of chip manufacturing.
The Arm, which develops architectures for processors used in cell phones, cars, smartwatches, and other devices, has also recently started selling its own chips. According to Haas, the demand for the Arm AGI chip developed at the request of Meta has already exceeded US$ 2 billion since its launch in March.
The executive also spoke about robots capable of learning and performing different tasks. According to Haas, this technology could be widely used in areas such as manufacturing, cleaning, security, bridge building and repairs over the next decade.
Regarding the impact of AI on the job market, Haas considered the estimates that machines will completely replace large numbers of jobs to be exaggerated. For him, there will be changes for workers, but new opportunities will also arise.
Arm does not see the need for factories in the UK
Despite the global shortage of chips, Haas stated he does not believe it is necessary to manufacture semiconductors in the UK. The production of advanced components is currently concentrated around the Taiwanese TSMC, and the British government is discussing with the sector the possibility of bringing parts of the physical production chain to the country.
For Haas, chip factories require high investments, specialized professionals, and many natural resources. He also stated that there is a broad ecosystem for this type of activity.
Haas left the board of the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in April. He also holds a position at SoftBank, the main shareholder of Arm, a Japanese company with investments in technology, including OpenAI.
Despite the transfer of Arm to Japanese investors in 2016 and the subsequent partial listing on Nasdaq in New York, Haas highlighted that half of the company's employees remain in the UK. According to him, Arm is by far the largest employer in Cambridge.
Ana Figueiredo is the technology editor at Olhar Digital. She is a graduate in Journalism from the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU).
