AI cancer cures slowed by chip shortage, says UK's biggest tech boss

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Rene Haas, chief executive of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm, said artificial intelligence will eventually help find cancer treatments that humans cannot reach on current timelines. In remarks to the BBC, Haas argued that some biology problems, including modelling how cancer affects DNA markers, are still too complex for today’s systems, but that better computers and more advanced models will ultimately solve them.

Haas framed that prediction as part of a wider view of AI’s impact on medicine and industry. He said AI could also accelerate the development of humanoid robots and be deployed more widely in tasks such as manufacturing, cleaning, security and maintenance over the next decade. He added that concerns about mass job losses from automation are overstated, although workers will still face change.

The interview also highlighted a constraint on AI growth: a shortage of chips and other supply-chain pressures for data centres. Haas said the sector is operating in a supply-constrained environment and that more chip factories are needed before some large-scale AI projects can expand further. He also expressed doubt that advanced chip manufacturing would become practical in the UK, pointing to the cost and complexity of building fabrication plants.

The comments come as Arm remains central to the global chip ecosystem, with its designs used in phones, cars and data-centre hardware. The BBC noted that Haas previously served on the board of AstraZeneca, underscoring his link to both technology and health sectors.