Nobel Laureate Warns of AI Flaws and Unknown Gene Functions

New Delhi, October 27: Nobel laureate Richard J. Roberts has cautioned against the expanding role of artificial intelligence in science. He also highlighted major gaps in genetic research that still need attention.

Roberts, who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993, is a speaker at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC) 2026. In an interview, he said he personally favours human intelligence over AI.

"We need to be very careful here. For my part, I prefer human intelligence," he said.

The scientist criticised the lack of transparency in today's AI models. According to him, these models do not share the datasets they are built on or explain how they reach their results. He said this is entirely against the scientific method.

"Science is founded on assumptions, and then it describes the path that led to the outcome," he explained. Roberts said AI often creates hallucinations, or false information, because it learns from poor data. However, he added, if AI is trained correctly and is able to describe its process, it could be extremely useful for science.

Roberts also commented on India's role in global science. He said the country has first-class scientists who are capable of leading important work.

He acknowledged that training is becoming a challenge, as it has become difficult for scientists to move abroad. He noted that the United States is not easy to enter and that Europe is not keen on hiring scientists. Still, he expressed confidence that Indian researchers can overcome these obstacles on their own, saying they have the determination to tell the world to go to hell.

Roberts's split-gene discovery transformed molecular biology. Three decades later, he said genetics still faces one of its biggest open questions: hundreds of genes have no known function.

"We have studied E. coli for decades, yet it still has 400 to 500 genes whose functions we do not know. In today's age, it is alarming that we have not spent time finding out what they do. The human genome is in the same situation, with many gene functions still unknown," he said.

ESTIC is an abbreviation for Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave, one of India's leading platforms for science, technology and innovation. The conclave will be held from October 27 to 29, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, and will feature discussions on 12 sectors.