Now, Google's AI can predict when patients might log off from life

Google has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can predict when a patient might die.

According to a Bloomberg report, Google is working on neural networks, a kind of artificial intelligence software, that can read through reams of health records and data to predict a number of eventualties for patients, including how long they may stay in hospital, their chances of re-admission and if they could die

The tool works on vital data of patients, like their age, gender, and ethnicity. This information is then combined with data like prior diagnoses, current vital signs, and any other lab results.

The unique feature of this tool is its ability to sift through data that may be in the form of PDF reports or notes scribbled on old charts, the report added.

Google’s next step is moving this predictive system into clinics, AI chief Jeff Dean told Bloomberg News in May. Dean’s healthcare research unit is also working on a bunch of other AI tools that can predict symptoms and disease with a certain level of accuracy.

For healthcare research, Google has always wanted unfettered access to digital medical records. Recently, the tech giant gained access to 46 billion pieces of anonymous patient data from the University of Chicago, University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University, said the report.

The report pointed out that IBM’s Watson, too, has deployed AI in healthcare.  

It was also reported last week that researchers at a British university are working on an artificial intelligence engine that could diagnose illness simply by smelling the breath of a person.

Earlier this month, the central government’s top policy think tank, Niti Aayog, furnished a report on the potential of AI in the healthcare sector.

Besides this, AI has also been used in allied sectors. For example, this month software services provider Wipro said it is partnering Big Data analytics firm Opera Solutions to launch a solution to address the issue of fraud, waste, and abuse in healthcare insurance claims in the US. The solution will combine US-headquartered Opera Solutions’ AI-based fraud, waste and abuse detection engine with Wipro’s capabilities in claims review.