Healthcare companies are investing heavily in developing artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced medicine. There have already been some notable successes – for example, an 82-year-old Viennese man suffering from aggressive blood cancer who had already undergone six courses of different chemotherapy drugs without success. Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna turned to British company Exscientia to test out a new technology which would use AI to identify the most efficient active ingredient for each patient. Using tissue samples from the patient, the researchers were able to identify the most effective drug by comparing its impact on different samples of cells.
The use of AI in medicine offers many benefits. For example, it can help to optimise therapies much more quickly than traditional approaches. Researchers are also using AI to develop new medicinal compounds, speeding up the drug development process. For example, Exscientia has developed a system which can identify molecules that interact with particular biological components. However, it’s important to note that AI in medicine is not free from challenges. Companies must invest heavily in developing AI-enhanced therapeutics, and there is also the issue of regulatory approval – regulators are still figuring out how to assess AI-generated medicine, which is a complex and novel field.
Despite these challenges, the potential of AI in medicine is clear. There is a growing trend of healthcare providers investing in developing proprietary algorithm which can analyse medical records, understanding patient health trends on a large-scale basis. This data could potentially be used to improve healthcare provision overall. The integration of AI into drug discovery could mean much faster and more efficient drug development, as well as reducing the likelihood of false positives or side-effects. Overall, the use of AI in healthcare is a rapidly expanding field, with enormous potential for the future of medical treatment.
