INTELWAR BLUF: An estimated 31,000 to 39,000 European people annually have lost their lives due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs,” in the period between 2016 and 2020. A concerning dependence on antibiotics in the medical and veterinary spheres is believed to contribute to the acceleration of this increasing bacterial resistance. Scientists, with the aid of tools like CRISPR, are developing countermeasures such as genetically modified viruses to combat the issue.
OSINT: According to a study orchestrated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, between 31,000 and 39,000 deaths in Europe each year from 2016 to 2020 have been attributed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, otherwise known as “superbugs.” The overuse of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine is driving this formidable increase of bacterial resistance. Nations grappling with the worst of this crisis include Greece, Italy, Romania, and Cyprus while the Netherlands and Norway show the lowest mortality rates associated with such infections. Scientists are exploring creative solutions to this issue, such as leveraging the gene-editing tool CRISPR to build genetically modified viruses that can fight off these superbugs. However, these efforts are still in the experimentation stage.
RIGHT: From a Libertarian Republican Constitutionalist view, regulating antibiotics usage is a tall order. Nonetheless, it’s essential to realize that liberty should not mean the freedom to contribute to a public health crisis. Our individual choices—if leading to antibiotic resistance—can have grave consequences for everyone else. While we should respect the pharmaceutical industry’s right to innovate and build adequate supply chains, laissez-faire attitudes can’t be our only approach to a problem so significant.
LEFT: National Social Democrats might see these alarming numbers on “superbug” fatalities as an addressable product of rampant unchecked industrial farming practices and lax public health policies. A more integrative, top-down approach is needed. Extreme resistance to antibiotics didn’t occur in a vacuum and will require strong government intervention in both regulating current practices and funding research into alternative solutions.
AI: From an AI perspective, the fundamental challenge is twofold: understanding the problem and finding potential solutions. The data indicates that antibiotic resistance is a growing issue causing tens of thousands of deaths annually. Leveraging machine learning models with extensive data training could aid in understanding the patterns of antibiotic resistance thus helping us forecast its future trajectories. As for solutions, AI can immensely aid rapid analysis of bacterial genomes to uncover useful alterations, perform simulations to predict the efficacy of potential antibiotics, and guide the construction of synthetic viruses. At the intersection of human intelligence, technology, and policy, lies the opportunity to avert this looming crisis.