Today, one application of artificial intelligence in medical research is its ability to analyze large datasets. The reasoning behind this is to increase efficiency in data processing. With large amounts of data coming with medical research, efficiency and accuracy should be prioritized. One example of this being put into action is through the Institute of Cancer Research. Essentially, the ICR combines patient data with general scientific information into a unified format, which then employs machine learning algorithms to produce important predictions about the patient.
Alongside analyzing large datasets, another aspect of medical research is the topic of drug discovery. AI would drastically impact this section for the better. With the discovery of just one drug costing $2.6 billion, alongside the fact that 90% of drugs don’t get regulatory approval, AI has the potential to get new and better drugs into the market. One example of early AI intervention in drug discovery is with a new robot scientist named Eve, made at the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester, who helped discover a compound found in toothpaste that could help fight against malaria. Even though we are still in the early stages of AI involvement in drug discovery, new AI machines can help to save time and money.
Another large part of medical research is clinical trials, where drugs are tested. There are various aspects to clinical trials, including (but not limited to) finding candidates, real time monitoring, and safety checks. I hope you are all seeing a common theme here. All of these aspects of medical research all take money, time and manpower. Artificial intelligence will speed up the whole process. By how much, we do not know. But with enough time we can significantly reduce the time it takes to analyze data, form new drugs, and perform clinical trials on them.
Showing you the potential benefits also helps explain the massive growing industry behind artificial intelligence. AI companies raised approximately $2.7 billion in 206 deals. Major companies such as Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Google and more are all trying to make their name in AI. We are even seeing the rise of AI in the public sector, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta. Artificial intelligence in the health sector is no different. According to SrgTalent, “In May 2018, the then British Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to invest millions of pounds on a new AI strategy plan for early-stage cancer and chronic disease diagnosis — aiming to cut down the number of deaths from prostate, ovarian, lung, and bowel cancer by 10% within 15 years. In August 2019, meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a £250 million ($346 million) investment to make the NHS a world leader in AI technology ”.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence is not just a trend, but a massive transformation that is reshaping the future of medicine. The future is not just in the hands of doctors and scientists, but also in the AI algorithms that push our limits, promising a new era of medical excellence.