Machine learning, and specifically deep learning , is poised to drive breakthroughs in multiple disease areas including infectious diseases such as malaria, where the need for novel molecules is as urgent as ever. The parasite-induced disease inflicts ca. 400000 deaths every year, mostly in children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. In the absence of a vaccine, treatments and preventive measures of transmission have been the cornerstone of reducing the burden of malaria. However, current treatments are becoming increasingly less effective against the parasites that have evolved to develop chemoresistance. Drug combinations and a consistent pipeline of new antimalarials will be required to curb the impact of this disease. In this context, machine learning could prove pivotal for the accelerated discovery and development of novel antimalarials .