The Download: AI to cure diseases, and China’s deepfake influencers

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg are cofounders and co-CEOs of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Cells are key to understanding disease—yet so much about them remains unknown. We do not know, for example, how billions of biomolecules come together to act as one cell. Nor do we know how our many types of cells interact within our bodies. We have limited understanding of how cells, tissues, and organs become diseased and what it takes for them to be healthy.

AI can help us answer these questions and apply that knowledge to improve health and well-being worldwide—if researchers can access and harness these powerful new technologies. Scientific discovery, patient diagnosis, and treatment decisions would all become faster, safer, and more efficient.

At the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, we’re helping to generate the scientific data and build out the computing infrastructure to make this a reality—and give scientists the tools they need to take advantage of new advances in AI to help end disease. Read the full story.

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Deepfakes of Chinese influencers are livestreaming 24/7

Scroll through the livestreaming videos at 4 a.m. on Taobao, China’s most popular e-commerce platform, and you’ll find it weirdly busy. While most people are fast asleep, there are still many diligent streamers presenting products to the cameras and offering discounts in the wee hours.