N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysore, said that artificial intelligence (AI), genetic engineering, and quantum computing were among the frontiers of science today that offer new opportunities for innovation in industries like healthcare, education, and sustainability.
He was speaking at the inauguration of “We-Gnana 2025”, a science fest and intercollegiate competition organised by JSS College for Women in the city on Tuesday.
Prof. Lokanath said, “AI continues to revolutionise industries with Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E. These technologies transform creativity, natural language processing, and design by generating text, images, and even videos.”
Referring to the application of AI in medicine, he said artificial intelligence was making strides in diagnosing diseases, creating personalised treatment plans, and speeding up drug discovery. “For example, AI algorithms are now capable of detecting certain cancers from medical imaging faster and more accurately than humans,” Prof. Lokanath said.
He said the brain-computer interface (BCI) technology too had made rapid advancements in recent years with potential implications for medicine, communication, and human augmentation.
While pointing to the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), a gene editing technology for changing DNA in living organisms, Prof. Lokanath said the CRISPR-Cas9 has opened the door to precise genetic modifications in humans, plants, and animals.
He said that the development of mRNA vaccines, which accelerated during COVID-19, has now expanded to include vaccines for cancer, malaria, and Zika.
Pointing out that synthetic biology was advancing rapidly, opening new possibilities for biomanufacturing and environmental sustainability, the Vice-Chancellor spoke about “artificial life forms” and said researchers had successfully designed synthetic cells and DNA sequences and even created “semi-synthetic life forms” that function in ways nature’s life forms cannot.”
Referring to advancements in personalised medicine, Prof. Lokanath said it was becoming more precise with treatments tailored to individual profiles. Researchers were using genetic data to predict how individuals will respond to specific drugs, ensuring more effective and safer treatments.
“In our world, science is the driving force behind progress and breakthroughs that shape our lives. From the moment we wake up to the time we rest, we interact with the marvels of science that have transformed the way we live, work, and think,” he said.
A.N. Santosh Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of JSS Science and Technology University, and former Chief PRO of the Aeronautical Development Agency, Bengaluru, were also present on the occasion.
Published – April 08, 2025 06:04 pm IST
