Latest news with #BenevolentAI
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
AI and machine learning: Driving a global tech revolution worth trillions
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have transformed from a futuristic vision to the fundamental forces behind the world's major tech-empowered industrial revolution. From financial markets to other industries such as healthcare, retail, and manufacturing, AI and ML are no longer supplementary technologies. They are the engines powering innovation, productivity, and economic growth globally. Artificial intelligence is the most prominent commercial opportunity in the rapidly evolving world, with the potential to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, as indicated by a recent report by PwC. As per the report published by Grand View Research, machine learning, a subset of AI, is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 36% between 2024 and 2030. Transforming global industries at unprecedented speed AI and ML are having an impact on many industries globally. These technologies are transforming business operations, making them more efficient and allowing data-driven decisions in various business domains. It is changing business models and generating unprecedented innovation globally. How? Healthcare AI-powered diagnostic equipment is leading to an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. It is assisting in early disease detection and increasing survival chances considerably. Predictive analytics assists hospitals in determining the patients at risk, lowering the rate of readmission by more than 25%. Artificial intelligence is changing the delivery of healthcare services in developed and developing countries, including drug invention and remote discovery. For example, it was discovered using BenevolentAI's AI platform, which analysed vast biomedical datasets to predict how existing drugs could interact with Covid-19 pathways. The AI suggested Baricitinib as a potential medicine within days, something that traditionally could have taken months, helping accelerate clinical trials and eventual emergency approvals. Finance Fraud detection tools empowered with artificial intelligence monitor billions of transactions in real time, and automated trading algorithms make transactions in a matter of seconds. JPMorgan Chase report points out that over $150 million is saved annually through AI-enabled systems. Global consumer financial services are also being secured, liberalised, and personalised through AI-driven banking services. Retail and e-commerce AI-powered predictive analytics can forecast customer purchasing habits with a predicted 90 percent accuracy. It enables retailers to predict demand and customise inventory to ensure the most sales are made, and reduce wastage of stock. These technologies allow dynamic pricing, filtering product recommendations according to the tastes and preferences of customers, acceleration of order placements, easier shopping experiences, and increased satisfaction among customers in both online and offline stores. Manufacturing AI-enabled predictive maintenance systems help factories by predicting breakdowns of equipment before they actually occur, up to a 60% improvement in equipment lifetime alongwith reduction in downtime. This not only saves millions of operational costs, but also improves worker safety. AI-empowered robotics is also becoming involved in complicated and risky operations, increasing productivity and product quality globally. The global AI market size, valued at $196.6 billion in 2024, is projected to surpass $1.8 trillion by 2030. North America currently leads in adoption, but Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, with investments in AI startups increasing year-on-year. Agriculture AI is also poised to play a pivotal role in addressing global challenges. Climate scientists are leveraging AI to model weather patterns and optimise renewable energy grids, potentially reducing carbon emissions by up to 10% annually (Source: In developing economies, AI is enabling leapfrog growth. Empowering people and boosting economies through the AI & ML revolution While automation raises concerns of job loss, the statistics showcase a clearer picture. World Economic Forum estimations show that by the end of 2025, AI will create 97 million new jobs in fields such as AI engineering, data science, as compared to the 85 million jobs already existing in the market (Source: Artificial intelligence development companies are spending heavily on employee upskilling in response to this change. Google AI training already has more than 3 million learners worldwide, and IBM has committed to skilling up to 30 million people by 2030 globally. " Every technological revolution disrupts the job market, but it also creates new opportunities that didn't exist before, " said Naveen Khanna, CEO of Octal IT Solution, which is a leading mobile app development company. " The AI era is no different, and the winners will be those who adapt fastest. " Navigating the ethics and regulatory guidelines of AI innovation With the faster AI adoption rate, ethical and regulatory systems are taking centre stage. The AI Act of the European Union is projected to become fully operative by 2026. It will establish the first complete regulatory framework for the worldwide use of AI. In the meantime, major economies and nations, are implementing specific policies towards AI and machine learning solutions to make it safer and accountable to innovation. A PwC survey revealed that 94% of organizations accepts that they have implemented or planning to implement AI in their business operations as AI ethics will be critical to building trust with stakeholders. Issues related to biased algorithms of AI, data-related privacy, and transparency still exist, yet widely used responsible AI principles are being adopted by companies. Gartner reports that by 2027, organizations will implement small, task-specific AI models, with usage volume at least 3 times more than those of general-purpose large language models (LLMs). Driving the future: AI and ML as the ultimate game changer The AI and ML will become fundamental to business competitiveness in this decade, as the internet did in earlier periods. Early adopters are already reaping exponential gains, while latecomers risk being left behind. Octal IT Solutions is also committed to providing AI-powered solutions that have delivered up to 45% operational efficiency improvements and 30% cost reductions for enterprises. " AI is no longer about replacing humans; it's about augmenting their capabilities ," said Arun Goyal, MD, Octal IT Solution, one of the leading voices in AI innovation. "This shift is empowering businesses to make better decisions, streamline operations, and open entirely new markets that didn't exist a decade ago." AI and ML are no longer optional; they are the driving forces shaping the next era of global innovation and economic growth. Businesses, industries, and nations that embrace this transformation today will define the competitive landscape of tomorrow. Disclaimer - The above content is non-editorial, and TIL hereby disclaims any and all warranties, expressed or implied, relating to it, and does not guarantee, vouch for or necessarily endorse any of the content.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI in drug discovery: from hypothetical to reality
AI has been a buzzword in the pharmaceutical industry for almost a decade, with countless headlines promising to revolutionise how drugs are discovered, developed, and deployed. The hype has typically outpaced reality; however, with a growing number of AI-generated drug candidates entering clinical trials, we find ourselves at a crucial potential turning point for the field. As the first AI-designed molecules begin clinical trials, the industry is watching closely to see if AI can deliver novel, successful therapies or if it will remain a supporting tool in an already complex research process. AI is not a single technology, but a broad set of computational tools that can support nearly every stage of drug development. In early discovery, AI can help identify novel targets, generate new chemical compounds, predict how drugs will interact with proteins, and optimise lead compounds (promising compounds that show potential as an effective drug) for desirable properties. In later stages, it is increasingly used to select patients for clinical trials, repurpose existing drugs, and predict adverse effects. Early attention focused on the ability of generative AI models, particularly deep learning and reinforcement learning frameworks, to create candidate compounds faster than any human chemist, with a theoretical ability to explore vast chemical spaces more efficiently than traditional methods. AI-designed candidates used to remain confined to in silico (computational) experiments or the preclinical stage. That is now changing. In the past two years, several AI-designed drugs have advanced into human trials, providing the first real-world test of these technologies in the clinic. Insilico Medicine, a Hong Kong- and New York-based AI biotech company, gained attention in 2023 when it announced that its drug candidate INS018_055, developed using its proprietary platform, had entered Phase II trials (testing effectiveness and safety). The compound was designed from scratch using generative models trained on structural data, an early confirmation that AI can do more than just screen libraries. Other companies such as BenevolentAI, Recursion, Schrödinger, and Relay Therapeutics are advancing candidates identified, optimised, or prioritised using AI tools, though not all are strictly 'AI-generated'. Importantly, these companies are not just discovering molecules but also positioning themselves as drug developers and strategic collaborators. Big pharma has increasingly embraced AI, using partnerships, joint ventures, and acquisitions to reduce risk in target selection and accelerate early-stage drug development. A prime example is this deal between Sanofi and Exscientia, worth up to $5.2bn, focused on AI-designed small molecules across oncology and immunology. Furthermore, AstraZeneca has been collaborating with BenevolentAI to identify new drug targets in chronic kidney disease and fibrosis. Pfizer, Bayer, Merck, and Roche have all partnered with AI-native biotechs or built their own internal capabilities, often focused on areas such as rare diseases, central nervous system disorders, or target deconvolution. These collaborations reflect a broader shift in mindset: AI is increasingly seen not as a competitor to traditional research and development (R&D), but as a strategic enabler, using human expertise to improve accuracy and compress timelines in high-risk areas. The core value proposition of AI in drug discovery is speed and efficiency. Drug development typically costs over $2bn and can take 10-15 years per new drug. AI promises to shorten the time from target identification to candidate nomination by rapidly generating hit compounds, improving target-disease linkage accuracy, and selecting better patient populations for trials. Insilico, for example, claimed that INS018_055 progressed from target discovery to Investigational New Drug filing in under 30 months, significantly faster than industry averages. However, real-world validation of these efficiency claims is still pending, and it remains unclear whether AI shortens timelines in later-stage development, where most costs and failures still occur. Moreover, regulatory pathways for AI-designed drugs are still evolving. While the molecules themselves follow industry standards, questions remain around intellectual property ownership, algorithm transparency, and validation of model-generated hypotheses. The excitement around AI in drug discovery has driven enormous investor interest, bringing volatility along with it. Many AI-first biotech companies raised substantial capital through initial public offerings or special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) deals during the 2021-22 biotech boom. Yet several have seen share prices decline sharply as investor enthusiasm met the realities of long development timelines, modest clinical progress, and uncertain monetisation strategies. BenevolentAI, for example, went public via a €1.5bn ($1.8bn) SPAC in 2022 but lost over 70% of its value by mid-2024. Recursion, despite its ambitious data-driven drug discovery platform and partnerships with Bayer and Roche, has also faced pressure from shareholders seeking faster returns. Despite this, the field is still maturing. Investors and pharma partners are shifting from broad platforms to more focused evaluations based on data-driven productivity, clinical progress, and pipeline value. The industry is now approaching a key milestone: the first regulatory approval of an AI-designed drug. If INS018_055 delivers positive Phase II data, it would mark a transformative moment, validating AI not just as a tool but as a source of new and unique therapies. Looking further ahead, AI could diversify drug development by enabling smaller companies to design high-quality molecules without vast lab infrastructure. It may also unlock progress in rare diseases, neglected indications, or emerging pathogens, where traditional business models struggle to justify investment. Beyond small molecules, AI is also being explored in biologics design, protein engineering, messenger ribonucleic acid optimisation, and clinical trial design, suggesting its impact could extend across the entire pharmaceutical value chain. AI is no longer just a futuristic concept in pharma; it is producing real assets, forming strategic alliances, and slowly earning its place in the clinical pipeline. However, expectations remain high, and the burden of proof now rests on human trials, not machine models. As the first wave of AI-designed drugs enters mid-stage development, the industry will be watching not just for approvals, but for evidence that AI can improve outcomes, accelerate timelines, and reduce costs in a field where failure is still the norm. If successful, the next decade may not just belong to AI, it may be designed by it. "AI in drug discovery: from hypothetical to reality" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. 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Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed Delisting via Merger of BenevolentAI into Osaka Holdings S.à r.l. and Publication of Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting
LONDON, February 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: BenevolentAI, ("BenevolentAI" or "the Company") (Euronext Amsterdam: BAI), a pioneer in AI-driven drug discovery, today announces: Subject to shareholder approval, the proposed delisting of BenevolentAI from Euronext Amsterdam N.V. (the "Delisting") via a merger of the Company into Osaka Holdings S.à r.l. ("Osaka Holdings"), (the "Merger"), which will transition the Company to a private company structure. Simplification of the Company's share structure and related instruments that reduces the current complexity and administrative overheads. The convening notice for the Extraordinary General Meeting (the "EGM"), the proxy form and the documents related to the items on the EGM agenda, including the Merger Proposal (as defined and set out below), will be published on or around 10 February 2025. Background and Reasons for Delisting Following the announcement on 11 December 2024 and subsequent further detailed review and evaluation, the Board of BenevolentAI has concluded that delisting from Euronext Amsterdam N.V. ("Euronext") and transitioning to a private company is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The Board determined that the financial and administrative costs of maintaining a public listing are not justified by the benefits. By eliminating the significant costs associated with its public status, including legal, regulatory, financial, and administrative overheads, the Company can redeploy this capital towards core business activities that drive innovation and product development. This aims to deliver greater value to its shareholders, partners and ultimately benefit the patients it serves. The proposed Delisting and Merger of BenevolentAI into Osaka Holdings requires passing EGM Resolutions (as defined and set out below). It is important for shareholders to understand that should any of the Resolutions fail to pass, the Delisting and Merger will not proceed. An indicative timetable of the Delisting and the Merger can be found in Appendix I below. Delisting Implementation Delisting will be implemented via a merger of BenevolentAI into Osaka Holdings. Osaka Holdings is currently a private limited liability company (société à responsabilité limitée) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg with its registered office at 9, rue de Bitbourg, L-1273 Luxembourg. It is not listed on any exchange and has no assets and no liabilities other than its share capital which will be reduced to zero on Merger. Upon the Merger, scheduled for completion on 12 March 2025, all the Company's assets, liabilities, rights and obligations will transfers to Osaka Holdings under universal title of succession. This transition will occur in accordance with the Merger proposal that will be published on 10 February 2025 and available on the Company's website, (the "Merger Proposal"). Additionally, the articles of association of Osaka Holdings post-Merger will be streamlined for a private company and will be set out in Schedule 1 of the Merger Proposal. Under the terms of the proposed Merger, Osaka Holdings will issue shares and warrants equivalent to the number currently issued by BenevolentAI, after accounting for the conversion of Class B shares to Class A shares, the cancellation of treasury shares, and the treatment of warrants, as set out below. Specifically, for every share or warrant held in BenevolentAI at the time of the Merger, a shareholder or warrant holder will receive one corresponding share or warrant in Osaka Holdings, according to a one-to-one exchange ratio, which is designed to reflect the ownership proportions in Osaka Holdings that existed in BenevolentAI prior to the Merger, helping to ensure a smooth transition for all stakeholders. If the Resolutions are passed at the EGM, the Merger will become effective once both BenevolentAI and Osaka Holdings have adopted the concurring approval decisions during their respective general meetings on the same day. Consequently, it is envisaged that the Delisting will become effective on 13 March 2025. Upon Delisting, the last day of trading in the class A shares and class A warrants will be 12 March 2025. Following completion, the newly merged entity will be renamed BenevolentAI. Conversion of Class B Shares into Class A Shares BenevolentAI currently has two classes of shares in issue: class A redeemable shares ("Class A shares") and convertible class B shares ("Class B shares"). The Class B shares were introduced as part of the historic deSPAC process, representing a strategic financing choice at the time. Both classes possess identical rights, including voting privileges and entitlement to dividends. The primary difference is their market presence; Class A shares are publicly traded on Euronext, whereas Class B shares are not publicly traded. As BenevolentAI transitions to a private entity, the distinction between publicly traded and non-publicly traded shares becomes irrelevant since the Company will no longer be listed on any market. In line with this change, shareholders are asked to vote on a resolution to convert Class B shares into Class A shares as part of the Merger process. This move is proposed to streamline the share structure, ensuring simplicity and uniformity across all shares. Simplifying the share classification is part of the Company's broader efforts to improve administrative efficiency as a private company. Cancellation of Treasury Shares In connection with the Merger, there is a resolution to cancel BenevolentAI's existing treasury shares, which were originally issued and subsequently redeemed by the Company as part of the 2022 deSPAC process. These shares neither confer voting nor dividend rights, nor do they actively contribute to shareholder value. Their presence complicates the capital structure and generates unnecessary administrative overhead. Cancelling these shares as part of the Merger process is therefore aimed at simplifying BenevolentAI's equity structure as the Company transitions to a private structure. Treatment of warrants The Company had previously issued a total of 16,600,000 warrants, comprised of 10,000,000 Class A warrants traded on Euronext Amsterdam and 6,600,000 Class B warrants, not listed on any exchange. Collectively, the Class A and Class B warrants are referred to as the "BenevolentAI Warrants". As part of the Merger process, Osaka Holdings will issue an equivalent number of warrants (the "Osaka Holdings Warrants") to all current holders of BenevolentAI Warrants on 12 March 2025. This issuance ensures that each holder of BenevolentAI Warrants will receive one Osaka Holdings Warrant for each warrant they currently hold, facilitating a direct and proportionate transition of rights as part of the Merger process. ABN AMRO will continue to serve as the warrant agent for Osaka Holdings post-Merger. The Osaka Holdings Warrants will be governed by the same warrant terms & conditions as originally established for the BenevolentAI Warrants (the "Warrant T&Cs), details of which are published on the Company's website: As per the Warrant T&Cs, warrant holders will be entitled to purchase one share in Osaka Holdings for an exercise price of €11.50. Consistent with the original Warrant T&Cs, the exercise price will be adjusted for a 30-day period starting on the Merger Date, 12 March 2025, using a predefined formula. Detailed information about the adjusted exercise price and instructions for exercising the Osaka Holdings Warrants during this period will be included in the press release scheduled for 12 March 2025, which will announce the results of the EGM and the completion of the Merger. Board Recommendation The Board considers the Delisting to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders and, accordingly, unanimously recommends shareholders to vote in favour of the Resolutions being proposed at the EGM. Directors who hold shares have committed to do so in respect of their beneficial holdings, in aggregate, including the Executive Chairman, who is the largest shareholder. Kenneth Mulvany, Executive Chairman of BenevolentAI, commented: "After careful review and, in particular, consideration of the costs attributable to the Company maintaining its listing on Euronext, the Board has unanimously concluded that the proposed Delisting is in the best interests of BenevolentAI and its shareholders. The Board is firmly of the view that the Company must prioritise investment that accelerates its innovation cycle and enhances product development. The proposed Delisting is a crucial component of the Company's capital allocation and fiscal efficiency." Extraordinary General Meeting The EGM will be held on 12 March 2025 at 10 a.m. CET at 2, place Winston Churchill, L-1340 Luxembourg. At the EGM, shareholders shall vote on the following agenda items, which are together referred to as the "Resolutions": - subject to the approval of the Merger, the conversion of all the 2,500,000 Class B shares without nominal value of the Company into 2,500,000 Class A shares so that the share capital of the Company is represented by only by Class A shares; - subject to the approval of the Merger, the reduction of the Company's current issued share capital by cancelling all 20,686,419 Class A shares currently held in the Company's treasury; - acknowledgement of the reports of the board of directors of the Company and the board of managers of Osaka Holdings, setting out the legal and economic grounds for the Merger and explaining the share exchange ratio and the warrants exchange ratio, and of the independent experts of the merging companies confirming that the share exchange ratio is fair and reasonable, and; - acknowledgment and approval of the Merger Proposal and decision to realise the merger of the Company, as absorbed company, and Osaka Holdings, as absorbing company, by way of merger by absorption. To be passed, the Resolutions require the approval of at least two-thirds of the votes validly cast in favour by the shareholders present or represented provided that a quorum of 50% of the Company's issued share capital is present or represented at the EGM. Publication of Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting and related documents The convening notice for the EGM, the proxy form and the documents related to the items on the EGM agenda (including the Merger Proposal) will be on display for inspection by the shareholders on the Company's website and at the registered office of the Company from or around 10 February 2025. Upon request to ABN AMRO (ava@ or to the Company (investors@ copies of the above- mentioned documents will be e-mailed to the shareholders. The shareholders entitled to participate and vote at the EGM will be those who are shareholders on the record date of 26 February 2025 at 24:00 (midnight) CET. The information in this press release should be read in conjunction with the full text of the Appendix to this press release and the full Merger Proposal to be published on Monday, 10 February 2025 on The Merger will be subject to the conditions and other terms set out in this Announcement and the Merger Proposal. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF INSIDE INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 17(1) OF THE REGULATION (EU) NO 596/2014 ON MARKET ABUSE (MARKET ABUSE REGULATION) About BenevolentAI At BenevolentAI (AMS: BAI), we serve patients by leveraging our proprietary and validated Benevolent Platform™ that integrates AI and science to uncover new biology and predict novel targets for complex diseases. Our advanced AI tools and scientific expertise position BenevolentAI to accelerate drug discovery. Headquartered in London, BenevolentAI is at the forefront of reshaping the future of drug discovery and delivering innovative medicines. Key potential and specific consequences of the Delisting Upon Delisting, specific regulations that are designed for public markets will no longer apply to BenevolentAI and its shareholders. Examples include that (i) there will be no formal market mechanism enabling holders to trade shares or warrants, which may affect the liquidity of the shares and warrants, and no price will be publicly quoted for the shares or warrants; (ii) it is possible that, following the publication of this announcement, the liquidity and marketability of the shares or the warrants may be adversely affected; and (ii) the regulatory and financial reporting requirements applicable to companies trading on Euronext Amsterdam, including inside information disclosure under the MAR and mandatory major shareholding notifications with the CSSF and the AFM, will no longer apply to the private company. These considerations are not exhaustive, and shareholders are advised to seek independent advice when assessing the likely impact of the Delisting on them. Forward-looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "plans", "targets", "aims", "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "will", "may", "should" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding objectives, goals, strategies, outlook and growth prospects; future plans, events or performance and potential for future growth; economic outlook and industry trends; developments in BenevolentAI's markets; the impact of regulatory initiatives; and/or the strength of BenevolentAI's competitors. These forward-looking statements reflect, at the time made, BenevolentAI's beliefs, intentions and current targets/aims. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions based on, without limitation, management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in BenevolentAI's records, and third-party data. Although BenevolentAI believes these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond BenevolentAI's control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause the actual outcomes and the results of operations, financial condition and liquidity of BenevolentAI or the industry to differ materially from those results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. No representation or warranty is made that any of these forward-looking statements or forecasts will come to pass or that any forecast result will be achieved. APPENDIX I Expected Timetable of Principal Events Event Date/time(1)(2) Announcement of the Merger and Delisting 6 February 2025 Publication of Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting, Merger Proposal and other ancillary reports and documents 10 February 2025 Record Date of the Extraordinary General Meeting 26 February 2025 Deadline for proxy voting in respect of the Extraordinary General Meeting 7 March 2025, 17:00 CET Extraordinary General Meeting 12 March 2025, 10.00 CET Press release announcing results of the EGM, closing of the Merger, effectiveness of the Merger and start of adjusted warrant exercise period 12 March 2025 Last day of trading in Class A shares and Class A warrants on Euronext Amsterdam 12 March 2025 Envisaged Delisting 13 March 2025 End of adjusted warrant exercise period 14 April 2025, 23:59 CET Notes:(1) All of the times referred to in this announcement refer to Amsterdam time, unless otherwise stated.(2) Each of the times and dates in the above timetable is subject to change. If any of the above times and/or dates change, the revised times and dates will be notified to shareholders by an public announcement through a regulatory information service. View source version on Contacts Enquiries: Investors: Fleur Wood – VP Investor Relationsinvestors@ ICR Healthcare: Amber Fennell /Jessica Hodgson /Davide SalviT: +44(0) 203 709 5700BenevolentAI@
