Australian man uses ChatGPT to design AI vaccine for his dog's cancer, catches Sam Altman's eye

One man, his dog, and ChatGPT: Australia's AI vaccine saga

Hong Kong (AFP) - Desperate to help his sick dog, one Australian man went down the ultimate ChatGPT research hole, using artificial intelligence to design a personalised experimental treatment and finding top scientists to administer it. Paul Conyngham's months-long quest to fight his rescue mutt Rosie's cancer has grabbed the attention of OpenAI boss Sam Altman, who called it an "amazing story" in an X post on Friday. Sydney-based AI consultant Conyngham told AFP that eight-year-old Rosie's mast cell cancer is now in partial remission and her biggest tumour has shrunk dramatically. "She regained a lot of mobility and function" after receiving a custom mRNA vaccine along with powerful immunotherapy in December, he said. Conyngham does not call his findings a cure -- but experts unrelated to the dogged endeavours said they highlight AI's potential to accelerate medical research. "I would have conversations and just keep them going non-stop" with ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok to study cancer therapies in-depth, Conyngham said. Following the chatbots' advice, he paid $3,000 to have Rosie's genome sequenced, and used the same online tools to analyse her DNA data. Next he turned to AlphaFold, a scientific AI model that won 2024's chemistry Nobel, to better understand one of the mutated doggy genes. Conyngham sought the help of a University of New South Wales (UNSW) team -- also thanks to a ChatGPT recommendation -- and other academics in Australia who made his research a reality. 'Just a rash' Rosie's cancer was misdiagnosed for nearly a year, Conyngham said on the phone during one of the long daily walks the pair have resumed. "I took her to the vet three times. And two times, the vet said, don't worry about it, it's just a rash," he said. But Rosie got sicker and a biopsy showed in 2024 that she did have terminal cancer. Having tried chemotherapy, standard immunotherapy and surgery, costs were mounting and Conyngham wanted more options. So he used AI to delve deep into the world of emerging treatments including mRNA vaccines, which train the body's immune system and were widely used during the Covid pandemic. "This was not a clinical trial by any means" and "it's not that AI cured cancer", said UNSW professor Martin Smith, who sequenced Rosie's genome for Paul. "It was really driven by his determination to help his dog." The combination of "three different disruptive technologies: genome sequencing, artificial intelligence, and RNA therapeutics... offers new possibilities and challenges", Smith said. AI promise Chatbots also assisted Conyngham in navigating the reams of paperwork for ethical approval. And through his new scientific network, he met a professor at the University of Queensland able to administer the fine-tuned treatment. Not all the tumours responded as well as the largest one, however. Rosie has had to have another operation since, and it's unclear how long she has left to live. The "short answer is we don't know for sure" what actually led to the reduction in size of Rosie's biggest tumour, said Pall Thordarson, director of UNSW's RNA institute which created the vaccine. "He used the AI program... to design the actual mRNA sequence. And then he gave that information to us," Thordarson explained. "AI holds lots of promise to improve and accelerate our research strategies," Nick Semenkovich at the Medical College of Wisconsin, unrelated to the Rosie saga, told AFP. But UNSW and Conyngham "haven't published scientific details outside of their press release and interviews, so we don't know enough about the vaccine to understand how much AI helped in its development -- or if the vaccine worked the way it was designed", Semenkovich said. Patrick Tang Ming-kuen, a professor from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said AI-powered research could help pets and humans survive, although the risk of errors is real. "AI transforms a 'needle-in-a-haystack' search into a data-driven selection process, drastically shortening the timeframe between diagnosis and vaccine construction," he said. Since Conyngham's story went global, Smith said his team have been fielding various new requests. "You know: my cat's got a disease, my dog's got a disease, my aunt has got a disease." But "it's hard for us to be able to help", he said. "There's a lot of things that have to align."

Man with no medical degree creates cancer vaccine using ChatGPT for his sick pet. Open AI CEO Sam Altman reacts: 'This should be easy ....'

An Australian businessman, Paul Conyngham, used AI tools like ChatGPT and AlphaFold to develop a personalized mRNA cancer treatment for his dog, Rosie. This remarkable endeavor, which involved collaboration with scientists and veterinarians, has sparked discussions about AI's potential in personalized healthcare, though experts urge caution due to limited evidence of efficacy and the need for rigorous validation. A man from Australia with no background in medicine or scientific research has reportedly relied on artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to create a customised mRNA-based cancer treatment for his ailing pet dog. The unusual case drew attention from Sam Altman, who described the encounter as remarkable after meeting the individual personally, noting it was among the most fascinating discussions he had experienced recently. The individual, identified as Australian businessperson Paul Conyngham, was confronted with a devastating diagnosis when his rescue dog, Rosie, was found to have advanced-stage cancer with little hope for recovery. Determined not to accept the grim outlook, he explored unconventional options and turned to artificial intelligence for assistance. Reports suggest he utilised AlphaFold, a system developed by Google DeepMind, to analyse and predict the structure of the protein believed to be responsible for the disease. He then employed ChatGPT and other advanced language-based AI systems to gather information, interpret tumour-related data, and assist in outlining a personalised mRNA vaccine approach. With support from trained scientists and veterinary professionals, Conyngham is said to have arranged for the vaccine to be produced and administered to his dog under proper supervision. Altman later expressed admiration for the effort on social media, highlighting how the experience sparked thoughts about the broader potential of such innovations, while also noting that making this process widely accessible remains a challenge. The account quickly gained widespread attention online, sparking conversations about how emerging AI technologies are enabling individuals without formal expertise to engage with complex scientific processes. Altman pointed to this example as an indication of how artificial intelligence could transform personalised healthcare by making advanced research tools more approachable. "Paul is an extraordinary guy. This should be easy to do, but it is not yet..." he wrote. Despite the enthusiasm, several experts have advised restraint. They emphasise that there is limited publicly available evidence linking the treatment directly to the dog's recovery or long-term health. Specialists caution that experimental medical interventions, even when supported by AI, must undergo thorough testing, validation, and professional oversight to ensure safety and effectiveness.

One man, his dog, and ChatGPT: Australia's AI vaccine saga

Desperate to help his sick dog, one Australian man went down the ultimate ChatGPT research hole, using artificial intelligence to design a personalized experimental treatment and finding top scientists to administer it. Paul Conyngham's monthslong quest to fight his rescue mutt Rosie's cancer has grabbed the attention of OpenAI boss Sam Altman, who called it an "amazing story" in a post on social media platform X on Friday. Sydney-based AI consultant Conyngham said that eight-year-old Rosie's mast cell cancer is now in partial remission and her biggest tumor has shrunk dramatically.