Rise of the Machines: the Future of Healthcare?

With the advent of virtual microscopy and convolutional neural networks (a subset of Artificial Intelligence), we can now throw away the microscopes and replace the pathologists with smart algorithms. The traditional way of scoring tissue samples is time-consuming and subject to variability between observers. AI is here to help, but how do you train an AI mind without losing yours? Should pathologists be scared that robots will soon replace them? Join Andreea as she tries to answer these questions and learn about her work developing an AI model to score kidney injury.

If there is one umbrella all Brits crowd under, it is the NHS. Loved and cherished, maybe even a bit rose-tinted. Healthcare for all, to each according to their need. At the same time, the NHS faces big challenges, and the pandemic has shown the need for equal care for all. Is artificial intelligence the silver bullet, enabling prosperity and equal healthcare? Or could AI make health a luxury and widen the rift between the have and have-nots even further? What do we need to do to make the biggest change in medicine since penicillin a force for good; an R2D2 rather than a Terminator?

Genetics & genomics have become increasingly important to our understanding of health and to clinical practice in recent years. Some experts believe that within 10 years everyone will have their whole genome sequenced and stored securely on their smartphone, helping to personally tailor drugs and other interventions to each individual. If this is to be the case then the public will need to have a sound understanding of the risks and real meaning of genetic information. Is this kind of vision realistic and what can we do to ensure that the potential benefits are felt fairly and equitably?