Could your next vaccine be digital? Top expert explains the science

Can a video game help prevent obesity? Could artificial intelligence and neuroscience work together to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, or even certain cancers?

These are the questions driving the work of Bhargav Sri Prakash, an Indian entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of health-tech startup Friendslearn. Over the past 15 years, Prakash and his team have been developing what they call digital vaccines- a software-based intervention designed to influence brain pathways linked to health behaviours and disease.

The concept has attracted attention internationally as well as in India, including from the government of India and various research bodies globally. But at the same time, it has prompted questions about how such technologies work and how they can be regulated.

Speaking to Firstpost, he also addresses whether its long-term impact can be conclusively demonstrated.

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Excerpts from the interview.

What exactly are digital vaccines, and how did the idea originate?

The concept emerged around 2010, long before the current AI boom and even before the COVID-19 pandemic. We were exploring whether technologies such as AI, neuroscience and virtual reality could be used not just to treat disease, but to prevent it.

The question was: can we create a future vaccine platform that doesn't involve needles or chemicals, but instead helps the body generate neurological and immunological responses through software? The goal was to activate the body's own defence mechanisms in a non-invasive way.

Was there a personal experience that influenced this work?

Yes. My eldest daughter was a toddler when she was diagnosed  in the United States with severe food allergies. Doctors prescribed steroids, immunosuppressants and strict dietary restrictions.

It was during one visit to India that my grandmother encouraged us to expose her to traditional Indian foods, but in very small quantities.

Over the period of her stay, the symptoms improved significantly. Looking back, it resembled a form of controlled exposure that helped train the body's immune and digestive systems. That experience made me question why medicine often focuses on managing disease rather than preventing it, and it sparked my interest in prevention-focused healthcare.

How did that lead to digital vaccine research?

Through a fellowship in the United States, I met neuroscientist Amanda Bruce, who was conducting pioneering brain imaging studies in children. We began analysing brain scans to understand the neurological basis of disease risk.

Using AI to analyse fMRI data, we found that specific brain regions involved in reward, memory, and self-control were strongly associated with future risks of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The findings suggested that many metabolic diseases may have roots in neurological pathways much earlier in life than previously understood.

What role does AI play in the technology?

AI was critical because it allowed us to identify highly complex patterns in brain scans that would be difficult for humans to detect. We combined these insights with virtual reality, gamification and sensory stimulation. The idea was to create immersive experiences that could activate specific brain regions linked to healthier behaviours.

In subsequent randomised controlled studies, we observed increased blood flow and neural activity in targeted brain areas, along with behavioural changes that encouraged healthier choices.

Why call it a vaccine?

Traditional vaccines create immunological memory by training the immune system to recognise and respond to a pathogen. Our idea was to create neurological and biological memory. Just as vaccines train the immune system, digital vaccines aim to train the brain and related biological systems to respond better to factors associated with chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The emphasis is on personalised prevention rather than treatment after disease develops.

What diseases are you targeting?

Our primary focus has been on obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. More recently, we have expanded our research into infectious disease prevention and mental health. These are all areas where behaviour, biology and environmental influences interact in complex ways.

How far has the research progressed?

We have completed multiple randomised controlled trials in collaboration with institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan, the National University of Singapore and partners in India, including IITs and AIIMS.

The earliest studies focused on safety and whether we could reliably influence targeted brain pathways. Later studies examined behavioural outcomes.

One key finding was that children exposed to the intervention were more likely to choose healthier foods and beverages than those in control groups.

How has the scientific community reacted to this innovation?

Carnegie Mellon University, the birthplace of artificial intelligence, has featured the invention among the top breakthroughs in technology and as the new frontier in disease prevention. I have served as the founding research translation and innovation partner at the university and as a member of scientific review advisory boards at Stanford University.

Critics may argue that influencing behaviour through technology raises ethical concerns. How do you respond?

That's an important question and one we take very seriously.

Any technology capable of influencing behaviour must be developed with strong ethical safeguards. Every study involving children undergoes rigorous review by ethics committees, peer reviewers and independent oversight boards. Our interventions are designed to improve health outcomes; there is no advertising or commercial messaging. We have no hidden agenda. Multiple studies involving hundreds of children have shown no serious adverse events, but continued scientific scrutiny remains essential.

How do you know the technology works if participants are still too young to develop diseases such as diabetes?

That's one of the biggest challenges in prevention research. To conclusively prove the prevention of diseases like diabetes or heart disease, we would need decades of follow-up. Instead, we measure established intermediate markers such as brain activity, food choices, blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, body weight and gut microbiome diversity.

These indicators cannot prove future disease prevention on their own, but they help us assess whether we are influencing pathways known to be associated with long-term health outcomes.

Does this technology replace traditional vaccines?

Absolutely not. Traditional vaccines and digital vaccines work through very different biological mechanisms. Our approach is intended to complement existing public health tools, not replace them. Vaccines against infectious diseases remain among the greatest achievements of modern medicine.