Google Tries to Spot Eye Conditions With Artificial Intelligence
(Bloomberg) -- Google and the U.K.'s government health service have partnered to study whether computers can be trained to spot degenerative eye problems early enough to prevent blindness.
Google DeepMind, the London-based artificial intelligence unit owned by Alphabet Inc., announced a research partnership today with the National Health Service to gain access to a million anonymous eye scans. DeepMind will use the data to train its computers to identify eye defects. The aim is to give doctors a digital tool that can read an eye-scan test and recognize problems faster.
Earlier detection of eye disorders related to diabetes and age-related macular degeneration could allow doctors to prevent loss of vision in many people, according to a statement by DeepMind Tuesday announcing the project with the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Google acquired DeepMind in 2014 to expand its artificial intelligence capabilities. Co-founded by child chess prodigy Demis Hassabis, the firm specializes in machine learning, the increasingly important area of technology where algorithms allow computers to learn and figure things out on their own. DeepMind has taught computers how to defeat a champion of the complex strategy game Go and play Atari's classic 1970s video game "Space Invaders."
Separately, DeepMind has announced the creation of a health care review board to scrutinize its work with the NHS. The nine-member panel includes a patient safety advocate, the editor of The Lancet medical journal, and others with health and technology backgrounds. DeepMind's relationship with the NHS has been criticized by some privacy advocates who worry the data will be used for other purposes besides medical advances. DeepMind has said it will only be for health care purposes.
The announcement of the Moorfields Eye Hospital collaboration is DeepMind's second partnership with the NHS. Another project uses a smartphone app to allow doctors to more quickly view medical results related to kidney function.
To contact the reporter on this story: Adam Satariano in San Francisco at asatariano1@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nate Lanxon at nlanxon@bloomberg.net, Molly Schuetz
-
Unhedged Position: Can India See An Indonesia-Style Time Correction?
The Nifty is trading below levels it first clocked in 2024. Is there, then, as I have suggested in the headline, potential that the current time correction drags on painfully for the next three-five, even ten years?
-
Navigating Friction And Energy Realities: An Analysis Of Marco Rubio's October Visit To India
Occurring at a critical juncture marked by stalled trade negotiations and escalating geopolitical pressures over global energy supplies, the visit offers a profound window into modern US-India relations.
-
India Exports Capital. Why Not Export Trusteeship?
The big question, then, is whether India can build an institution that global borrowers, investors, banks, and lawyers can trust, even without an Indian connection.
-
France's Economy & Politics Are In Crisis | The Reason Why
Let's look at how the French economy and politics evolved under Nicolas Sarkozy, Franois Hollande and Emmanuel Macron.
-
You May Inherit The Business. You Must Earn Its Credibility.
Succession tests the founder's ability to share authority as much as it tests the next generation's readiness to assume it.
-
Signing Deals Is One Thing; Making Them Work Is Another | The Week In Whys
Sometimes, things don't turn out as planned. Indian companies have lost some bids to rivals, some projects won't produce until 2030.
-
FOMC Wall, PERM Suspension, Hospital Stocks | Talking Points This Week
A PERM suspension would directly affect green-card sponsorship rather than H-1B visas, so the near-term earnings impact could remain relatively limited. The key question is whether this marks a new phase in US scrutiny of Indian IT.
-
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once: Dalal Street's Week To Forget | Joining The Dots
Visa curbs, a Starlink spat and cancer drug caps: what connects this week's shocks for Indian markets
-
India Is Going Abroad For Critical Minerals. But It May Take Years To Pay Off | The Reason Why
Although India's steps are in the right direction, they remain modest compared with India's growing dependence.
-
When Everyone Has AI, What Gives You An Edge?
India's young workforce is entering an uncertain world of work where powerful AI tools are becoming widely accessible. The advantage will belong to those who combine deep expertise with digital fluency, and the distinctly human capabilities that technology cannot manufacture.
