Google Health

Google has hit the headlines recently. Unusually not for the work that it has done on the more usually understood areas of home computing, its platforms or education. This time in the area of health.

Google Health

Google Health recently announced the results of a study. It indicates Artificial Intelligence could be more effective in spotting breast cancer than Human Oncologists.

This just shows the extent of developments and innovation that is taking place by the “tech giants.” Increasingly there are concerns around the so called “power and reach” of organisations such as Google. However, every so often a story comes along which shows the necessary flip side of the innovation that is taking place.

Google has developed its Artificial Intelligence model into such a refinement that it identified breast cancer screening mammograms with greater accuracy. It has fewer false positives and false negatives than experts.

Clearly there is already a concern that “the machines are taking over” in some quarters. Such innovations cannot be ignored.

AI Model

Google’s London-based AI subsidiary DeepMind worked with Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, Northwestern University and Royal Surrey County Hospital to train and deploy the AI model. It scanned data from more than 76,000 women in the U.K. and more than 15,000 women in the U.S.

The AI model was also able to more effectively screen for breast cancer using less information than human doctors. It relied solely on X-ray images, while doctors had access to patient histories and prior mammograms.

This work has significant potential and implications because due to the nature of the disease. Early diagnosis of breast cancer can be a challenge. Medicine is already working with incredibly busy staff and the sheer scale of potential of a disease to affect millions of people around the world. The latest research builds on Google’s work with deepmind learning algorithms. It was developed to help doctors spot breast cancer more quickly and accurately in pathology slides.

But this isn’t the only area where Artificial Intelligence is helping to advance the care of patients. Studies have also been done in further investigating X rays and in developing processes for identifying some heart conditions.

Ok Google – am I having a heart attack?

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