Meta's CEO Launches AI to Help Scientists Discover New Drugs

Biohub, a nonprofit research organisation founded by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) model focused on protein biology on Wednesday (27 May 2026). The AI model is designed to speed up drug discovery, helping scientists understand how proteins function in the body and design new proteins that could treat various diseases.

According to Biohub, the model falls into the ‘world model’ category, which learns how systems work and predicts outcomes when those systems are altered or subjected specific conditions. In this case, the system studied is proteins, which are crucial molecules involved in nearly all bodily functions, from tissue and organ formation to energy production.

Creating new proteins that are safe, stable, and effective in the human body has traditionally been a complex and time-consuming process. Biohub hopes this AI will help researchers find new drug candidates more quickly and efficiently.

The AI consists of open-source models designed to assist scientists in understanding and designing proteins. Priscilla Chan stated that the model has been tested on immune and cancer cases with promising results. ‘We have verified the model’s capabilities and validated many of its predictions in immune and cancer cases. The results are highly promising,’ she told Reuters.

She also expressed hope that the model would be widely adopted by researchers to tackle various laboratory challenges.

Researchers have already used the AI to create new protein binders targeting cancer and immune diseases. Laboratory tests indicate these proteins can reactivate immune cells.

Biohub will also provide computational credits to researchers to run the AI on its servers. Besides biohub.ai, the model will be available on platforms such AWS Bio Discovery and SandboxAQ.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, established in 2015, integrated its biomedical research under Biohub in November 2025, including the acquisition of AI biology startup EvolutionaryScale. Since 2015, Zuckerberg and Chan have donated over $7 billion (approximately Rp 125 trillion) to philanthropy. They also plan to donate 99% of their Meta shares during their lifetime, mostly through Biohub, according to Reuters.