SAO PAULO - Vision impairment is of global reach, affecting millions - if not billions - and significantly impacting people’s daily activities and overall wellbeing. Refractive errors such as nearsightedness and farsightedness present substantial challenges across various age groups, hindering learning in children, impeding productivity in adults, and complicating daily tasks for those of all ages.

While addressing these issues through spectacles or contact lenses is typically straightforward, getting prompt access to eye care providers for suitable prescriptions remains arduous for many.

Brazilian researchers are now developing an AI model that predicts eyeglass prescriptions. This groundbreaking study led by ophthalmologist Dr Lutz de Araujo, working with two distinguished Brazilian universities, suggests tech-based early detection and proactive management of vision concerns will soon become a tangible reality. This revolutionary approach will reshape ophthalmology and eye care in general, marking a major leap forward in the field.

The Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul contributed datasets and technical support, with the Telehealth Scientific Center - Telessaúde-RS (famed for deploying tech to ease public health pain points) also providing indispensable assistance. The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo - above all the bioengineering section under Prof Paulo Schor - also favored us with its expertise in eye and vision health, thus allowing for a more comprehensive approach.

The 2020 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology bore first witness to the study’s preliminary findings, and Dr Lutz de Araujo presented the complete research this year while publi