A computerised AI system that can advise doctors on the best treatment for patients has been awarded £20 million by the British Government, with the money being shared by 15 AI projects at UK universities.
The funding makes up part of the Turing fellowship scheme, helping to develop software systems including methods of treating cancer.
The doctor’s assistant/clinical colleague project is being led by Professor Aldo Faisal, Imperial College London, capable of recommending medical interventions including prescribing drugs or changing doses.
The technology aims to use ‘reinforcement learning’, a method of machine learning that can train AI to make decisions. Similar systems developed from the technology could be used in sectors including aerospace and energy.
Multiple projects will be aiming to develop workable systems, with one AI system under development by Dr Antonio Hurtado, from the University of Strathclyde, using laser light, similar to that used in supermarket checkouts, to perform tasks at ultra-fast speeds. The technology can be used in areas such as weather forecasting and processing images for medical diagnostics with low energy consumption for use in industries including energy, healthcare and finance.