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The Robot Will See You Now: U of T Experts on the Revolution of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine


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A hypothetical medical robot.

Experts in computer science and medicine explored issues related to the ethical use of artificial intelligence in medicine during a panel discussion at the University of Toronto.

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The University of Toronto (U of T) hosted a panel discussion Tuesday on the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. Experts in computer science and medicine explored the issues of privacy, accuracy, and accountability during the session.

Integrating AI successfully into the nuanced setting of patient and doctor interaction and communication creates intriguing challenges for researchers. Natural language expert Graeme Hirst says a medical AI would have to talk to patients in language used in the real world and deal with all issues of complex conversation and health communication. Hirst has developed methods for detecting cognitive decline, including Alzheimer's disease, by examining linguistic changes in a person's writing over time.

U of T professor and panelist Michael Brudno oversees a research group that spans both computational biology and an emerging subfield of computational medicine. "Computational biology applies to a much broader set of disciplines, from how to raise better cattle, to forests that are more heat-resistant, because of global warming," he notes. "Computational medicine is about the application to patients, and to human health." Brudno predicts AI will help to greatly streamline doctors' workflows, but will not replace doctors.

From U of T News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2016 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

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