AI Healthcare

We're entering a new era of healthcare. AI can sift through vast amounts of data and knowledge in a way that's not possible for a human brain. Already, IBM's supercomputer Watson can draw on troves of data and patient records to provide personalized recommendations on treatment in seconds. A robot scientist developed by Ross King, professor of machine intelligence at the University of Manchester, can screen over 10,000 compounds a day in the search for new drugs to beat tropical diseases. Professor King predicts, "Biological systems are so complex that humans cannot understand them without help from computers. I believe that most diseases will be treatable, if not cured, in the next 50-100 years." Smart technology will also give us more personalized, democratic health systems. "AI will make healthcare unrecognizable in the next ten years," declares British-based engineer and entrepreneur Dr Ali Parsa. For £7.99 a month, his smartphone app Babylon enables subscribers to text simple queries and have virtual consultations. Users can add fitness monitors and if they show stress and high blood pressure, for instance, a doctor can proactively make contact.