Can Artificial Intelligence Help Veterans With Cancer?

Google has been chosen to help the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit in designing an artificial intelligence (AI) model that could help study and identify cancers found in veterans. The AI will be used to create augmented-reality microscopes that can help doctors efficiently map out tumors. If all goes as planned, the microscope will be able to identify areas of interest and tell doctors what stage of disease the patient is in by analyzing the structure and number of cells in the tumor. The goal of this AI application is to improve patient outcomes and help pathologists sort and understand the massive amount of information they collect on patients. The number of hours spent reviewing patient information could be significantly reduced, allowing pathologists to focus on other areas of their work.  

One goal of the work is to lower medical costs. The microscopes will be used in veterans’ affairs hospitals and military hospitals all across the United States. The hope is that the tool can be used to improve the quality of service for military personal and veterans. Right now, the project is limited to only a few specific cancers, but it can be expanded to include more in the future.