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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Google is analyzing eyeball scans using machine learning [theregister.co.uk] in order to help determine which patients need treatment:

Famous eye hospital Moorfields has agreed to give Google's DeepMind access to one million anonymous eye scans as a part of a machine learning study intended to spot early signs of sight loss. Explicit patient consent is not required because the scans are historic, meaning the results won't affect the care of current patients. Under the project, the hospital will also have access to related anonymous information about their eye conditions and disease management.

[...] Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw, director of biomedical research at Moorfields, said the research could "revolutionise" the way professionals carry out eye tests, leading to earlier detection and treatment of common eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. "With sight loss predicted to double by the year 2050, it is vital we explore the use of cutting-edge technology to prevent eye disease," he said. Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, said: "We set up DeepMind because we wanted to use AI to help solve some of society's biggest challenges, and diabetic retinopathy is the fastest growing cause of blindness worldwide."

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