Blood infections kill millions—but AI could help
Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening complication of a bacterial infection—it kills one in five of the 30 million people who contract it worldwide every year. But a new study in Nature suggests a system built using reinforcement learning could significantly reduce that number.
What is reinforcement learning? It’s a machine-learning technique inspired by the way animals learn through positive feedback. It’s the same technique DeepMind used to create a program that taught itself to play Go.
The research: This method was used by a team from Imperial College London who fed a system data on the way 96,156 sepsis patients admitted to 133 separate intensive care units in the US had been treated. The data included information on medication doses, intravenous fluids, and vasopressors (medicines that constrict blood vessels) given over the first 72 hours after admission to hospital. The system’s end goal was patient survival after 90 days.
Better outcomes: It’s yet to be tested in hospitals, but when compared with an independent validation sample, the program was significantly better at recommending sepsis treatment than human doctors, the team found.
AI assistant: The software is yet another in a growing cadre of AI-powered systems aimed at helping doctors treat tough diseases, especially when it comes to diagnosis. For example, Google’s deep-learning tool recently proved better than human pathologists at spotting metastatic tumors. A number of new apps also use AI techniques to help triage patients.
Deep Dive
Artificial intelligence
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.
“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.
Deepfakes of Chinese influencers are livestreaming 24/7
With just a few minutes of sample video and $1,000, brands never have to stop selling their products.
AI hype is built on high test scores. Those tests are flawed.
With hopes and fears about the technology running wild, it's time to agree on what it can and can't do.
You need to talk to your kid about AI. Here are 6 things you should say.
As children start back at school this week, it’s not just ChatGPT you need to be thinking about.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.