Medicine affects us all. It is also seen very much as low hanging fruit in terms of the impact that AI can have in terms of bang for the buck. This issue, we look at all things medical, from news on how AI is impacting medical fields right now, to a GPT that answers any medical query. Let’s dive in…

News

China starts using AI for brain surgeons: in a move that is sure to be watched by medical boards the world over, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has trained a chatbot on all things neuroscience and is deploying this across seven hospitals in Beijing and elsewhere in the coming months. Read more here.

Researchers invent new class of AI to improve cancer detection: researchers at the Mayo Clinic have created a hypothesis driven AI model that should ensure a greater accuracy when detecting cancers. Follow the story here.

Every Cure creates AI platform to harness the power of approved drugs: US start up, Every Cure, has created an AI platform that tries to repurpose pre-existing approved drugs to tackle diseases that they were not forseen to help. Initial results are really encouraging. Find out more here.

Melinda Gates says AI in pregnancy helps save lives: in an interview on International Womans Day, Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke out about the impact of AI for pregnant women around the world. Read more here.

AI knows what depression looks like: in a new study conducted using AI to randomly capture respondents images when answering survey questions, an AI based app called MoodCapture, has been trained to detect early signs of depression. Read all about it here.

Tool

Continuing the medical theme, this weeks GPT is aptly called Medicine GPT. It sets itself up as being a general medical tool that helps diagnose problems based on simple descriptions. I tried it with a few simple ailments and it seemed to be pretty much on point. See the example below, where I asked it what could cause stomach pain and bloating after eating bread…

Prompt

Experiencing a sore stomach after eating bread might indicate one or several underlying issues related to digestion or food sensitivities. Here are a few possible causes:

1. Gluten Sensitivity or Intolerance: Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, which are common ingredients in bread. Gluten sensitivity can cause symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and stomach pain after consuming gluten-containing foods.

2. Coeliac Disease: This is an autoimmune disorder where ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine, leading to symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, and malabsorption of nutrients. It's more serious than gluten sensitivity and requires a strict gluten-free diet.

3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): IBS is a common disorder that affects the large intestine, causing symptoms like cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation. Certain foods, including wheat, can trigger symptoms.

4. Wheat Allergy: This is an allergic reaction to proteins found in wheat, including but not limited to gluten. Symptoms can include digestive distress, hives, nasal congestion, or even anaphylaxis in severe cases.

5. Fructan Intolerance: Bread, especially those made from wheat, contains fructans, which are a type of carbohydrate. Some individuals have difficulty digesting fructans, leading to symptoms of bloating, gas, and stomach pain, similar to those seen with intolerance to gluten.

6. FODMAP Sensitivity: FODMAPs are a group of carbohydrates that can be difficult for some people to digest. Wheat bread contains high levels of FODMAPs, which can lead to symptoms in individuals with sensitivity to these compounds.

A pretty comprehensive list of probable causes. It then went on to suggest that if it persists, that you should seek medical advice. Overall, a good tool but not ready for replacing doctors…yet!