AI Technology Predicts Future Health Risks
Artificial intelligence can predict people's health problems over a decade into the future, say scientists. The technology has learned to spot patterns in people's medical records to calculate their risk of more than 1,000 diseases.
The researchers describe this innovation as akin to weather forecasts, which anticipate conditions such as a 70% chance of rain – but applied to human health. The ultimate goal is to utilize the AI model to identify high-risk patients and to aid hospitals in understanding their future demands.
The newly developed model, known as Delphi-2M, operates on principles similar to those employed by well-known AI chatbots such as ChatGPT. By analyzing large datasets, including anonymous medical records from over 400,000 individuals, the model can gauge disease likelihood based on identifiable patterns. Although it does not pinpoint exact dates for potential health events, it estimates the risks of various diseases.
Experts emphasize that this tool can simultaneously predict multiple diseases, a significant advancement in the field. Prof. Ewan Birney of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory expressed his enthusiasm, stating, This is the beginning of a new way to understand human health and disease progression.
The AI model's effectiveness has been validated using diverse datasets outside the UK, showing promising results in predicting diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart attacks. While the technology is not yet ready for clinical application, researchers envision its future use to offer vital insights into patient care and healthcare resource planning.
As healthcare progresses, this AI-powered approach could lead to personalized medicine, encouraging lifestyle modifications based on individual risk assessments.