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Daron Acemoglu argues that while AI's potential for drug discovery is often used to justify massive investments, the evidence shows AI has delivered little so far—and redirecting some of that money toward proven public health interventions would do far more to improve American life expectancy.
- AI has produced minimal gains in actual drug discovery despite significant effort. A recent paper found that while AlphaFold predicted protein structures, there's "no evidence so far that more applied, early-stage drug development is targeting these proteins."
- The US has the lowest life expectancy among wealthy nations (about 5 years behind Switzerland, Sweden, Japan), mostly from preventable deaths before age 70 due to chronic disease, overdoses, and poor public health—not lack of new drugs.
- The US spends far more on healthcare than peer countries but too little on public health (preventive care, nutrition, immunization, primary care access), suggesting reallocating AI investment toward these proven interventions would yield better health outcomes.
Recent data reveal that dementia prevalence at ages 70, 75, 80 and above has fallen compared to several decades ago. In fact, today’s 90-year-olds face less than half the dementia risk of those in 1984. This shift points to progress in prevention and treatment of age-related cognitive decline.
- Dementia prevalence has fallen across every age bracket studied (70, 75, 80+) compared to several decades ago
- 90-year-olds today face less than half the dementia risk of 90-year-olds in 1984 (under 15% vs. roughly one in three)
- Better education, blood pressure/cholesterol control, diabetes treatment, and healthier lifestyles are cited as the likely drivers
The latest dietary guidelines recommend that individuals limit alcohol consumption for better overall health, but they do not specify clear limits for daily intake. This marks a significant shift from previous recommendations that advised specific drink limits, raising concerns among health experts about the omission of risks associated with alcohol, such as cancer.
- New guidelines drop specific drink limits (like "one drink for women, two for men daily"), just vaguely urging people to drink less.
- The change comes despite growing evidence linking alcohol to cancer risk, which critics say the guidelines downplay or omit.
- Health experts see this as a retreat from clearer, more actionable public health advice compared to past editions.