An artificial intelligence tool has helped scientists discover unknown virus species at an unprecedented speed from data previously uploaded to databases, according to a joint study by researchers in mainland of China, Hong Kong and Australia.     

The researchers said that the machine learning tool could significantly improve in the identification of millions more viruses. This machine learning tool is called LucaProt, capable of computing genomically complex information and vast genetic sequence data. 

The AI tool was trained to compute the dark matter and identify viruses based on sequences and the secondary structures of the protein that all RNA viruses use for replication. It was able to significantly fast track virus discovery, which, if using traditional methods, would be time intensive.

161,979 new species of RNA virus have been discovered using LucaProt that researchers believe will vastly improve the mapping of life on Earth.