Abu Dhabi tenders AI project to analyse genetic data

• LLM to classify DNA mutations
• Hunt for potential health risks
• Potential to speed up decisions

The Abu Dhabi government has invited companies to bid for the development of an artificial intelligence system that would help doctors and researchers better interpret genetic data.

The project calls for a large language model (LLM), the same type of AI technology that powers tools such as ChatGPT, to be trained on the Abu Dhabi department of health’s medical and genetic datasets to classify DNA mutations and generate reports on potential health risks.

Doctors typically review complex data that maps changes in a person’s genetic code to assess whether mutations are benign or linked to diseases. 

The AI tool would automate this process by flagging genetic abnormalities and explaining their clinical significance, helping clinicians make faster decisions.

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Abu Dhabi is creating one of the world’s largest DNA databases in an attempt to advance community and individual health.

Genomic data is increasingly valuable in research, helping to identify new connections between genes and the risk of disease and opening the door to potential new and personalised treatments.

Abu Dhabi has also been stepping up global investments in health, biotech and AI, mainly through its sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. 

Mubadala Capital, the fund’s asset management arm, holds stakes in the Seattle-based cell therapy company Outpace Bio, the biotechnology company Metsera in New York and Capstan Therapeutics in California.

These assets combined are worth $617 million, alongside other investors, the data research company PitchBook estimates.

Mubadala is also an investor in Recursion Pharmaceuticals, a US-based biotech company working with Nvidia to apply AI models to drug discovery.