How AI is being used to spot blindness, protect patients' privacy, share medical data, and develop new medical devices. While there are concerns about the privacy of patients and the role of AI in healthcare, the benefits are too great to ignore. Medical AI is expanding, and the future holds endless possibilities for this field.
Can AI Help Heal the World?
AI) is a term that refers to computer systems designed to simulate human intelligence and perform tasks that must human intelligence, such as recognizing speech or images, identifying patterns, and making decisions. Medical AI is one of the most promising and expanding applications of AI, and it has the potential to revolutionize healthcare as we know it.
How Can AI Spot Blindness?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the UK and the US. Elaine Manor is one of the lucky ones who were able to receive successful treatment for her AMD. But, many others are not as fortunate, and delays in being seen and treated can result in permanent vision loss. AI has the potential to change that by detecting eye diseases.
AI has developed that can identify over 50 types of eye disease as well as a human doctor, but much faster. The AI system can analyze retinal scans in seconds, a task that could take specialist doctors hours to complete.
By 2050, an estimated 443 million people worldwide will be blind, a figure set to increase by approximately 50%. AI could help address this growing problem by analyzing and diagnosing eye diseases.
Protecting Patients’ Privacy
One of the main concerns surrounding the use of AI in healthcare is the privacy of patients' data. DeepMind, Google's AI company, has faced legal action over its use of NHS data, and there are concerns about the use of patient data by other AI companies. But, if data can be better protected, AI can improve patient care.
How to Share Medical Data
One way to protect patients' privacy while still allowing AI to access medical data is through privacy-preserving techniques. Machine learning startup Bitfount is collaborating with doctors to develop a system that could join data without compromising privacy.
The system acts as a kind of switchboard between someone who wants to access data and the owner of the data. The data never leaves its home location, so patient privacy is protected.
Medical AI Is Expanding
Medical AI is expanding and has the potential to transform the way patients are diagnosed and treated. help can make testing of new medical procedures more effective and help devices to develop quicker.
But, the concerns among some people about the reliability and accuracy of AI systems, particularly when it comes to making critical medical decisions.
What Do the Skeptics Say?
Skeptics argue that AI systems are not yet advanced enough to replace human doctors. They argue that AI cannot replace the human touch in healthcare and that there is a risk that AI could use as a substitute for human interaction, rather than as a tool to enhance it.
But, proponents of medical AI argue that AI can complement human doctors by providing them with accurate and timely information, allowing them to make better decisions.
Using AI for New Medical Devices
AI is not useful for diagnosing diseases; it can also use to develop new medical devices. Stanford University has used AI to develop an algorithm that can predict which combinations of materials will work best for medical implants. This approach could help researchers develop medical devices that are safer and more effective.
What Does the Future Hold for Medical AI?
Medical AI is still in its early stages, but it is expanding. As more and more medical data becomes available, AI systems will become more accurate and more effective.
There is still much work to be done to ensure the reliability and accuracy of AI systems, but the potential benefits of medical AI are too significant to ignore. With proper safeguards in place to protect patient's privacy, medical AI could help heal the world by providing faster, more accurate diagnoses,