Artificial intelligence and medicine

Abstract

Currently, a ‘hot’ debate circulating throughout the more serious international media platforms focuses on the downside – or potential downside – of artificial intelligence (AI). The doomsday view warns that AI will become smarter than mankind and, essentially, become uncontrollable and take over the planet! Indeed, one AI expert has suggested that, since AI-driven processes will be far more accessible and will be put to nefarious use with relative ease by erstwhile crooks, it will become more dangerous than nuclear weapons where access and safeguards against their injudicious use is so great. In stark contrast, the use of AI-based methodology to identify Abaucin, a potentially highly effective antibiotic against acinobacter bauinaemii, was recently heralded on BBC radio as a groundbreaking advance in the fight against superbugs. Certainly, by using rapid gene sequencing, AI speeded up the selection process of this antibiotic from amongst hundreds of other potential contenders and curtailed the pre-clinical trial research period that would otherwise have taken several years. Clinical trials have yet to start and will still be required to verify the efficacy of this promising drug. Similar areas where AI-based technology has been applied include vaccine research (e.g. for RSV, Ebola), management and prediction in type 1 diabetes, diagnosing retinal disorders and increasing early detection of sepsis by up to 20%.