Rene Haas, chief executive of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm Holdings, has stated that artificial intelligence will discover a cure for cancer within our lifetimes, a feat he believes humans cannot achieve on their own.
Haas explained that while modeling how a DNA marker is affected by cancer is currently too complex a problem, computers are "going to solve it" in the future. He also predicted that AI will lead to the widespread adoption of humanoid robots in the next five years, but noted that the current rapid growth of AI is hampered by a shortage of chips required for building data centers. However, he expressed skepticism about the feasibility of manufacturing chips in the UK in the future.
Arm designs the central processing units (CPUs) for microchips used in billions of devices globally, including phones, cars, and smartwatches. The company's peak share price this summer, driven by the AI boom, made it the most valuable UK-headquartered company in history in terms of cash value.
Speaking on the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast, Haas, who previously served on the board of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, said: "AI is going to... find a cure for cancer that today you and I, other humans [could] not in our lifetimes. I believe in our lifetime, AI will help cure cancer."
He elaborated that modeling a cell, a human, or how a DNA marker is impacted by cancer is too complex for current human capabilities and even for the computers running AI. "However, going forward, as we feed more and more of the models into these computers, and the computers get more sophisticated to run the models, they're going to solve it," Haas added. He also holds a significant role within Arm's primary owner, Japan-based Softbank, which has diverse tech investments, including in OpenAI.
Professor Chris Bakal, from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, and CEO of Sentinal4D, commented that the critical question is no longer whether AI will be used, but rather what data it will be trained on. He mentioned that labs like his are training AI using data generated from patient samples, not scraped from the internet, and that this does not require a massive data center. "The future of medical AI will not belong to whoever builds the biggest computer. It will belong to whoever has the right measurements," he stated. Bakal believes this approach could significantly reduce the time needed to develop new treatments, delivering real patient benefits.
Job losses 'overstated'
In the same interview, Haas suggested that the chips designed by Arm will play a substantial role in powering self-learning AI robots for tasks in manufacturing, cleaning, security, construction, and repairs within the next decade. "With artificial intelligence, these robots can see, learn, and essentially be reprogrammed for new tasks. So, in the service industry, the robot that was programmed to make a bed can also learn how to arrange the towels in a room, or clean the dustbins, or whatever you want to go off and do."
Addressing concerns about AI causing mass job displacement, Haas acknowledged that some workforce changes are inevitable but believes that "the estimates of jobs going away and being completely replaced by machines is a bit overstated." He argued that new opportunities will emerge to offset these changes.
He also downplayed fears of a market correction for AI companies, citing the long-term demand for AI. Haas noted that Arm's power-efficient technology is now utilized in half of the world's AI data centers.
This has led to a significant business evolution for Arm, including the sale of its own microchips. He revealed that Meta, the owner of Facebook, commissioned Arm to develop the Arm AGI chip, and demand has been exceptionally high, exceeding $2 billion since its launch in March.
However, Haas highlighted challenges in the supply of various chip types, which he believes are hindering the deployment of AI and data centers. He pointed to plans for large "multi-gigawatt" data centers in France and the US, as well as proposals for data centers in space. "We are absolutely in a supply-constrained environment. Can you get enough chips? We need more fabs [chip factories] before we can put a data centre in space."
Despite government discussions about potentially bringing parts of the physical chip supply chain to the UK, Haas does not foresee the necessity of building fabs in the UK. He cited the high cost, specialized workforce requirements, significant natural resource needs, and the existence of a broad existing ecosystem as reasons why it might not be practical or necessary for the UK to undertake such manufacturing.
Arm, long considered a beacon of UK tech, was sold to Japanese investors in 2016 and later partially listed on New York's Nasdaq. Haas emphasized that half of Arm's employees are still based in the UK and that the company is "by far and away the largest employer in Cambridge."
