China has produced another study showing the potential of AI in medical diagnosis – Quartz
What happened: A study from China has shown again that an artificial intelligence system can be more effective at diagnosing ailments than some doctors. Researchers from China and the US trained the AI on electronic records from 1.3 million patient visits to a medical center in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. The system was able to meet or outperform junior physicians in diagnosing childhood ailments ranging from asthma to sinusitis.
Why it’s important: With just 1.8 physicians per 1,000 people, China is in need of more doctors and nurses. The country has stepped up its efforts to develop artificial intelligence systems for medical diagnosis to relieve some of the pressure on its medical system. Last year, an algorithm from China was able to predict with 88% accuracy whether patients in a vegetative state would wake up. Additionally, an AI beat doctors at a competition in Beijing in diagnosing brain tumors.