Dear AI researchers, my bones would like a word.

I've broken four bones in my life.

That doesn't make me an orthopaedic expert, although at this point, I do feel entitled to some loyalty benefits.

What bothers me isn't the fractures themselves. It's that in 2026, after all the remarkable advances in medicine, the treatment for a broken bone still involves a rather generous amount of… waiting.

Orthopaedics has become extraordinarily sophisticated at putting bones back together. Plates, screws, rods, precision surgery. Impressive stuff.

And then comes the part where nature takes over, apparently operating on a timetable that hasn't received a significant software update in centuries.

I know, I know. Bone healing involves inflammation, cell regeneration, blood vessel formation, mineralisation and a complicated biological orchestra.

At least I know this now. Four fractures make for a rather expensive introduction to skeletal biology.

So here's my appeal to the people using AI to advance medical research: can we make bones heal dramatically faster?

Not diagnose fractures faster. Not design a slightly better titanium screw. Actually accelerate the biological process of healing.

We have AI models helping researchers investigate protein structures, discover drug candidates and explore biological interactions that would be extraordinarily difficult to study through conventional methods alone.

Could we apply that intelligence to understanding what governs the speed of bone regeneration?

Could AI analyse genomic, cellular, imaging and clinical data to identify what limits healing? Could it help discover molecules that promote bone formation and blood vessel growth together, or design biomaterials that stimulate regeneration? And could it help researchers prioritise promising interventions before committing years to laboratory experiments?

And could we establish an iterative research programme where every experiment, successful or otherwise, makes the next prediction better?

The objective would be straightforward: reduce the time it takes for a fractured bone to regain enough strength for safe, normal activity.

Whether that's a 20%, 50% or 90% improvement is for science to discover.

I'm not suggesting someone type “heal bones in two days” into ChatGPT and expect a miracle. Although, given the enthusiasm surrounding AI these days, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if someone has already launched a startup on that premise.

What I'm advocating is serious, multidisciplinary research with measurable clinical outcomes.

Millions of people fracture bones every year. For many, recovery means interrupted livelihoods, lost independence, missed experiences and months of inconvenience. Accelerating healing safely would have enormous human and economic value.

To biotechnology companies, AI research labs, regenerative medicine specialists and the investors funding them:

Please make accelerated fracture healing a serious scientific mission.

Not every breakthrough needs to involve a new surgical robot, an extraordinary piece of hardware or a billion-parameter model.

Sometimes, a breakthrough could mean a child returning to the playground sooner. Someone getting back to work. An elderly person regaining their independence.

We spend so much time imagining what AI could do for humanity. Helping people get back on their feet a few weeks sooner would be a rather meaningful breakthrough.