Dr Arianna Ferrini discusses the role of artificial intelligence in lung cancer detection and the United Kingdom’s AI strategy in cancer prevention.

The United Kingdom launched its first National Artificial Intelligence Strategy two months ago to strengthen its position as a global science superpower. The idea is to seize the potential of modern technology, improve lives, and solve global challenges such as climate change and public health.

The evolving landscape of AI health information technologies can transform medicine by improving diagnosis, treatment, and the delivery of patient care. However, this transformation can only happen if healthcare data are shared in a defined ethical framework. To achieve this, Arianna Ferrino believes there needs to be continuous dialog, from the fields of medicine and computer science, and policymakers, to navigate ethical questions surrounding AI and medical data-sharing and translate ethical consideration into regulatory and legal requirements.

The Buck Institute for Research in Aging, in California, has a dedicated focus area for AI and computational biology. Their aim is to exploit the full value of research data and expertise in the pursuit of new interventions and diagnostic tools that will enable the extension of human healthspan.

The term ’artificial intelligence‘ was first used in 1956 in a project to figure out how to make machines use language, form abstractions and concepts, solve every kind of problem previously reserved to humans, and improve themselves. Since then, AI has mainly remained in university classrooms. Yet that is changing.