It may not have a lab coat or indecipherable handwriting, but AI is starting to make waves in the healthcare space.
Driving the news: Using an AI-powered drug discovery tool called Logica, U.S. pharmaceutical company Charles River Laboratories and biotech firm Valo Health have found a promising new drug candidate to treat lupus and other autoimmune diseases.
- It’s the first discovery made with Logica — which uses AI to turn biomedical research into potential new medicines — and a breakthrough that Charles River’s chief scientific officer says is proof that the tool can be used to expedite drug development.
Why it matters: One of the most promising aspects of AI is its potential to speed up the development of life-saving treatments and improve overall healthcare. From helping diagnose patients to treating depression, the technology is already making major inroads.
- Last year, an AI tool called Mia analyzed 10,000 mammograms and caught all of the cancers that radiologists also found, while also catching 11 that they missed.
- In another recent case, researchers found that AI, paired with a specific blood test, could diagnose Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before symptoms appear.
Zoom out: Mental healthcare is also getting a hand from AI. Two recent studies from OpenAI and the MIT Media Lab found that more people are using chatbots as de facto therapists.
Yes, but: Like any application of AI, there’s still a very real potential for mistakes. Algorithmic bias or model flaws could lead to misdiagnoses if not overseen by real healthcare professionals.—LA