Maybe they can’t keep the discoveries secret… idk.

But what they can do with them can make a difference. Especially with the access to compute and resources they have compared to anyone else. So, they still have a competitive advantage.

The one current example I can think of is Google. They have Alpha Fold and Quantum Computing. I believe they’ve seen advancements to the way they work and an improvement to the speed of progress. It’s just that it’s not what it’s talked about.

Yes. I doubt they’d be able to patent those discoveries without serious litigation from the healthcare sector. The models are all “polluted” with others’ IP.

Probability of "if"? I'll give you 1000:1 odds, if you're game.