Google wants to use AI technology to subvert the medical industry. What is it going to do?

Google wants to use AI technology to subvert the medical industry. What is it going to do?

Google is particularly interested in AI and medical health. It has invested a lot of money in these two areas and may eventually change our lives.
Google neuroscience scientist Greg Corrado said: "Machine learning, the underlying technology of AI can handle a variety of tasks." This is indeed the case. He also said: "Whether it is a daily task, such as finding directions, organizing mail, or the tasks that doctors, nurses, and patients face every day, all can be handled."

Greg Corrado still has a say, and he helped Google Gmail develop a suggested response algorithm.

Google understands that medical health has endless value. John Moore, an analyst at Chilmark Research, said: "It's hard to ignore this market. It accounts for 20% of US GDP. Whether it's Google, Microsoft, IBM or Apple, everyone is talking about it and seeing how it can be done in the health care arena. what."

As early as 10 years ago, Google has entered the industry, but it did not succeed. Google’s investment in the so-called “Google Health” failed, and Google is now starting again. Hundreds of employees are currently working on health projects, often working with other companies and academic institutions. Google did not disclose the size of the investment, but Moore speculated that the investment could be as high as several billion dollars.

There is a company owned by Alphabet called Verily, which is a brother and sister with Google. Verily is developing a software that can diagnose blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy, which is currently being used in India. Verily is also developing tools that can diagnose blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, as well as surgical robots that can be learned from every operation.

Jessica Mega, chief medical science officer at Verily, said: "In every use case, new technologies and tools can be used to solve the problems ahead. When it comes to surgical robots, the idea is to learn from one operation to another. This idea is getting more and more important because it will get better."

Mega believes that the rise of AI does not mean that we have to be too far away from the habitual devices, such as pacemakers and implantable defibrillators. She said: "Patients have seen the intersection of technology and health care, and now it is only a turning point."

why? Algorithms for driverless use can be used in the health care arena, everything is related to managing large amounts of data.

Medical control of massive information, related to specific patients, related to electronic medical records, scans, and sometimes electronic pathology. The algorithm processes the information. Mega said that the algorithm might be able to extract very useful information. She also said: "There is a view that you are healthy before you get sick." But there is a continuous process between health and illness. If computer algorithms can grasp the early signs of turning to disease, it may help you avoid the disease.

However, medical data is not prepared for research, and there is a gap between the two. To bridge the gap, Verily partnered with Duke University and Stanford University to set up a project called Project Baseline with the goal of finding 10,000 volunteers and providing the company with massive amounts of data.

Judith Washburn and husband James Davis became volunteers. Judith Washburn is 73 years old and is a medical librarian. She saw the recruitment of ads and participated. Judith Washburn said: "After a few months, I received a call, accepted the test for 2 days, and then spent two weeks, everything went very well."

There, Judith Washburn underwent heart scans, blood tests, skin tests, and stress tests. Her husband also decided to participate.

James Davis said: "At the time, it was difficult for them to find African-American participants, so we are basically stable. Some people donate their bodies to medical science institutions. When you are alive, donations are reasonable."

James Davis is a retired aerospace engineer who discovered that his heart was in trouble and eventually Davis underwent surgery.

Every quarter, both husband and wife are subject to a questionnaire survey. There is a small device under the mattress that will track sleep. The two will also wear a watch to monitor heart rate. The watch can calculate the number of steps. All personal information flows into a database of private companies. The husband and wife considered this issue before signing the contract and finally agreed. Washburn said: "The specifics depend on what the data is used for. If it's just for research, I think there is no problem."

Google’s strengths are here. When you use Gmail or Chrome in Google search, it may have collected the most useful data. Well-known academic doctor Reed Tuckson said: "When Google and other consumer-centric companies march into the field, it is clear that they have the ability to access much of the information we have about us and then put it into use."

For example, the online history can tell us what the user bought, how it is being exercised, and other lifestyle-related information.

He believes that Google should be careful about privacy issues, and he is very optimistic about technology. Tuckson also said: "We should remember that the status quo is unacceptable and it is unacceptable. We have to use various tools to improve the health of Americans and use them wisely. This is where the technology is exciting."

Verily not only invited big cows like Tuckson, but also Dr. Robert Califf, former director of the US Food and Drug Administration, and Vivian Lee, a radiologist at the University of Utah's health care system. Google also invited Geisinger's doctor, David Feinberg, a large healthcare provider.

Analyst Moore said: "Amazon and Google seem to be vying for talent, and to some extent Apple." Google wants to establish its credibility in the health care field. Moore also said: "Google wants these people to prove what Google is doing, and can stand up and say: 'Yes, Google can do it.'"

Moore is also concerned about Google's investment, which he believes indicates that healthcare and AI are growing rapidly. Moore believes: "Everyone should value Google."

Some big players (such as Microsoft, Apple) will also have their own place.

Moore said: "There are some other AI companies that don't have such resources. They must carefully choose the market segments they want to target. These market segments are not of interest to Google."

Making technology available is just the first step.

Lonny Reisman was previously a senior executive at Health-Reveal, a company that developed algorithms to help doctors choose the right therapy. Lonny Reisman believes that the healthcare industry is a very complex ecosystem. When Google enters the industry, there are many questions to answer.

Who is motivated to buy AI software? As the advocates said, can it really save time or money?

Reisman believes: “Without cost control, various forces are competing.” He also believes that it is quite difficult to achieve balance in terms of innovation, access, fairness, and health and quality, so there is a lot to do.

Google executive Corrado believes that cooperation with academic institutions and the health care industry is the key to entering this territory. He said: "You need a lot of technology to form a long-term combination, penetrate through the academic and scientific communities, and then penetrate into the clinical community, in which the development is largely done."

Although there are many challenges, Google has its own advantages, and it collects huge amounts of data.

Corrado told the media that Google is quite sensitive when using data. It is thinking about whether there is any good way to use the receipt and not to be disgusted. Corrado also said: "When using data, you must act according to the patient's wishes and make them healthier. You must do this."