A newly proposed superpower AI project in the United States could help make cancer merely a dreadful memory from the dark days of medicine.
In a televised speech from the White House this week, Oracle Corp (NYSE: ORCL) founder Larry Ellison said the massive “Stargate” artificial intelligence project will help develop vaccines for every type of cancer under the sun. He was joined by President Donald Trump, SoftBank Group Corp – ADR (OTCMKTS: SFTBY) founder Masayoshi Son and Open AI CEO Sam Altman.
Ellison explained that Oracle was utilizing technology from Altman and Son’s companies to develop mRNA vaccines that are custom-tailored for every cancer patient that receives them. He claims this will eventually be made possible through AI examining a blood sample and developing a shot for the specific cancer within two days.
President Trump says Stargate is the largest AI project in history without question. The first one-million-square-foot data centre powering the large-scale initiative will soon be set up in Texas followed by other states in the long term. An initial investment of US$100 billion will kick things off followed by an additional US$400 billion later down the road.
“Imagine early cancer detection, the development of a cancer vaccine for your particular cancer aimed at you, and having that vaccine available in 48 hours,” Ellison remarked. “This is the promise of AI and the promise of the future.”
Larry Ellison says the Stargate Project will construct the largest computer ever built which will enable AI to create cancer vaccines, personalized medicine and pandemic prevention pic.twitter.com/Sie3bXiSTQ
— Tsarathustra (@tsarnick) January 22, 2025
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Ellison & Stargate face scrutiny from Musk and others
Despite the enthusiasm many have for Ellison’s statements, several are sceptical about not only the cancer vaccines but the entire Stargate project.
The controversial American physician and scientist, Robert W. Malone, was among the first to criticize Ellison’s remarks. He is known for early research contributions to the development of mRNA technology and his opposition to widespread usage of the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic years.
“It has the flavour of somebody pitching influential high net worth individuals with a concept that is really smoke and mirrors,” Malone said in an interview with renowned conspiracy theorist Alex Jones this week.
Another physician and professor at the University of California San Francisco, Vinay Prasad, was quick to condemn the tech giant founder’s statements as well.
“This is not going to work,” Prasad said in an X post. “AI is not going to be able to detect the right type of lesions early and mRNA cancer vaccines are going to fail.”
Moreover, certain influential figures in the tech space like Elon Musk are wary about the proposed initiative’s practicality and think the dollar figure it will require is unrealistic.
“They don’t have the money,” the Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) mastermind said on his social media platform. “SoftBank has well under US$10 billion secured. I have that on good authority.”
The feasibility of Ellison’s claims and Stargate as a whole will become more apparent in the coming months as efforts are made to establish the necessary AI infrastructure for this ambitious plan.
rowan@mugglehead.com
