Google AI better at seeing eye diseases

BRITAIN: Artificial intelligence developed by Google could be better at spotting eye diseases than doctors, experts believe.

A two-year partnership between DeepMind, Google’s sister company, and the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London showed ‘‘promising signs’’ in analysing retinal scans for signs of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

The research has been submitted to a peer-reviewed medical journal amid hopes the technology could enter clinical trials within a few years.

Dr Dominic King, DeepMind’s clinical lead, said: ‘‘In specific areas like medical imaging, you can see we’re going to make really tremendous progress in the next couple of years with artificial intelligence.’’

Peng Tee Khaw, director of research at Moorfields, said: ‘‘I am optimistic that what we learn from this research will benefit people around the world and help put an end to avoidable sight loss.’’

DeepMind, which is based in London, analysed data from thousands of anonymous retinal scans that had been labelled for signs of disease by doctors. The scans were used to train an AI algorithm to detect signs of eye disease more quickly and efficiently than human specialists.

It is hoped that such programmes will ease pressure on Britain’s overstretched National Health Service (NHS) by taking on some of the repetitive work.

King said such artificial intelligence could be applied to other kinds of images and be used to diagnose other illnesses.

There are plans for DeepMind to partner with University College London Hospitals to analyse radiotherapy scans, and with Imperial College London to look at mammograms.

However, the relationship between such technology companies and hospitals is sensitive. Last year, Britain’s data protection watchdog ruled that the NHS illegally handed Google the data of 1.6 million people.

The Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust in London was found to have ‘‘failed’’ to comply with data protection rules when it gave patient records to DeepMind for a trial that used technology to track patients’ symptoms and send alerts to doctors in the event of a drastic change in their health through an app called Streams. DeepMind has since set up a research unit focused on the ethical and social implications of the AI it is creating. – Telegraph Group