The father of Self-driving Car delivered a keynote speech at the 2023 T-Edge Conference

San Francisco, California, December 1 (TMTPOST) -- Sebastian Thrun, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, on Friday painted a picture where artificial general intelligence (AGI) revolutionizes industries like pharmaceuticals and legal profession.

“Once we have AI companions, we become 100 times as effective doing what we do today,” he told an audience of hundreds of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and officials. He started his research on artificial intelligence in 1989.

“AI will transform human health,” Thrun said in a keynote speech druing the three-day 2023 T-Edge Conference that kicked off on Friday.

AI systems have outperformed 21 doctors in diagnosing accuracy. This breakthrough in early disease identification, especially for skin cancer, is crucial. AGI advancement is projected to improve disease diagnosis, ushering in a new era of medical intervention and life preservation.

The pharmaceutical industry is likewise changing. “Imagine a world where medicine is tailored towards your DNA, maximizing impact with minimal damage,” he pointed out, adding that AI is speeding up the time-consuming drug discovery process and reducing costs.

“Drug designing used to take weeks and months, now takes a millisecond,” he explained. This acceleration shortenes the lengthy drug development process and promises to substantially lower costs, making essential prescriptions more affordable for more people.

In terms of legal services, AGI will redefine the profession. Thrun commented that AI is proficient in research and document drafting, which are common in law. Using AI in these operations could lower legal service costs. Thrun pointed out the financial implications, citing his own experience. “I pay roughly $1,000 per hour for the best of my lawyers. AI could dramatically reduce these costs,” he said. AGI may also work as digital attorneys or judges, expediting legal processes.

He is a professor at Stanford University and the founder of Google X Lab.