In 2019 researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide created a turbo-charged flu vaccine partly using an AI biology simulator that found drugs activating the human immune system.

True: credible reports confirm that in 2019 Flinders University researchers (Nikolai Petrovsky's team) developed an enhanced flu vaccine (or adjuvant) partly using an AI-based program or simulator (e.g., 'SAM') that identified compounds activating the immune system. Mostly true: the core facts hold, with a minor discrepancy (e.g., the work was earlier and only announced in 2019, the AI found an adjuvant rather than 'drugs', or the institutional details differ slightly). Mixed: the vaccine work was real, but the AI's role was substantially different from the description. Mostly false: the role of AI is greatly overstated, or the work was not done by Flinders. False: no such vaccine was developed with AI assistance.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 AI used to invent more effective flu vaccine in 'world first' ABC News · 2 July 2019

   “We essentially showed all of that to the AI program called Sam and then Sam came up with its own suggestion of what might be an effective adjuvant, which we then took and tested, and sure enough, it worked.”

2. E2 U.S. clinical trials for more effective flu vaccine – News Flinders University · 2 July 2019

   “Although computers have been used in the past to help in drug design, this vaccine technology was independently designed by an AI program called SAM (Search Algorithm for Ligands), created by the Flinders-based team.”

3. E3 Flinders University to trial AI-based flu vaccine in US Clinical Trials Arena · 1 July 2019

   “Flinders University in Australia has announced plans to begin US clinical trials of a new seasonal flu vaccine developed using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.”

4. E4 How AI is stopping the next great flu before it starts - Engadget Engadget · 14 February 2020

   “In 2019, researchers at Flinders University in Australia used an AI to "turbocharge" a common flu vaccine so that the body would produce higher concentrations of antibodies when exposed to it.”

Independent reports confirm that in 2019 Flinders University researchers used AI to help develop a more effective, 'turbocharged' flu vaccine (E3, E4); E1 names the AI program Sam, and Flinders' own announcement (E2) says SAM designed the vaccine technology. However, E1 indicates the AI proposed an adjuvant rather than 'drugs', which the criteria list as a minor discrepancy. The core facts hold, so the claim is mostly true.