AI Needs to Cure Cancer: If AI is as powerful as its creators claim, it needs to start solving problems that people care about.

American Thinker ^ | 05/21/2026 | Donald Kendal |

[SeekAndFind]

Whenever you read about artificial intelligence, you hear the same sweeping promises. Commentators and industry leaders speak of breakthroughs that always seem just over the horizon. AI will revolutionize science, unlock new materials, transform industries, and reshape nearly every facet of life.

In regards to medicine, we are told that AI will one day cure cancer, eliminate Alzheimer’s, and solve diseases that have plagued humanity for generations. Even many AI critics concede these points. They warn about the risks, but still acknowledge the extraordinary potential.

And yet, despite this widespread belief in what AI could become, public sentiment is moving in the opposite direction. Skepticism is growing. Distrust is rising. And lawmakers are increasingly responding with calls for sweeping restrictions.

AI industry leaders are living on borrowed time, and they need to act boldly if they want to earn the public’s trust.

The Public Is Souring on AI

The side of AI the public sees looks nothing like those promises. Instead, they're inundated with what many have started calling “AI slop.” Endless streams of AI-generated images, videos, and articles that are often obviously artificial. Social media feeds are filled with this content. Sure, it can be fun and entertaining to watch Mr. Rogers wrestling Bob Barker in a vintage WrestleMania setting. But this content is novel for a moment, then quickly disposable.

At the same time, they are told that building this future requires enormous resources. Massive data centers. Vast amounts of energy. Water used to cool processing systems. The scale of investment is staggering.

And for most people, the return on that investment feels underwhelming.

Yes, tools like ChatGPT and Grok can help draft emails or answer questions more efficiently. But even these benefits are often viewed through a lens of concern.

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TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: ai; cancer; luddites; sezyou

[DIRTYSECRET]

Don’t confuse the issue with logic.

[MarlonRando]

you can use AI to make a video of your boss farting. Other than that it’s useless.

[HYPOCRACY]

AI is too late. Biden cured cancer.

[bk1000]

People are being cured of cancer using ivermectin and fenbendozol.
Not all, but it is happening. AI not required

[fwdude]

I have been less than overwhelmed by AI outcomes so far.

The advertising is just unconvincing. You can always tell what AI creates, and it is irritatingly artificial and shallow.

Internet information is actually WORSE now than it was years ago under normal search terms. I get totally off-the-wall answers to simple questions.

[fwdude]

you can use AI to make a video of your boss farting. Other than that it’s useless.

I need a tutorial.

[Tom Tetroxide]

That’s not what is important. Making music videos with A.I. is more of a priority.

Here’s an excellent example of what it can do.

Data - TIN MAN | Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHf6ov1LG9I

[BigFreakinToad]

I thought Joe Biden was going to cure cancer?

[Tell It Right]

Breck Girl John Edwards told us in 2004 that electing John Kerry would cure Christopher Reeves.

[butlerweave]

I don’t know AI just makes up Scientific papers out of thin air

[BigFreakinToad]

forgot about that one.

[Jamestown1630]

I don’t think there will ever be *A* cure for cancer; there are too many kinds. I think we’ll learn to manage the various types of cancer.

We’re already doing much better with many types than we did in the past.

[Blueflag]

AI acts against what you ask it to do. Plus it performs best when you give it your rules, constraints, desires outcomes, etc.

AI is decidedly NOT an independent creative thinker.

My first advice is whenever you work with any AI on anything important, set these three conditions.

1. Stay in the subjective layer, focusing on logic, fact and reason.

2. Do not hallucinate or invent. Stay objective and factual, not subjective.

3. No sycophancy, no affirmation.

If you start every chat with this, whether asking for help with homework or chasing data on treatment, you will get far better answers.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: You can always tell what AI creates, and it is irritatingly artificial and shallow.

I do not judge AI but what it is only capable of doing now. Technology improves and what limitations it has now, will eventually be improved upon. That’s what the filed of machine learning is all about.

[posterchild]

Isn’t that work reserved for DACA recipients?

[fwdude]

We’ll see. LED lighting used to be a horrific tone, but it has improved - slightly.

[rktman]

Yeah, I asked a question I knew 100% the answer to and got back a 100% totally wrong answer. No doubt the AI search would claim I asked it incorrectly. 😂👍

[Reily]

That’s the thing about using AI you have to know enough of the basics to know when its feeding you BS.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Yeah, I asked a question I knew 100% the answer to and got back a 100% totally wrong answer.

There is a term the AI researchers call — HALLUCINATING. They are aware of that. But I don’t underestimate the capability of AI to learn and self-correct.