How AI is Changing the Way We Treat Diseases and Disabilities
The age of artificial intelligence is allowing us to rethink the way that we treat diseases and disabilities. The combination of AI and Big Data, in addition to helping with medical diagnosis, coupled with biological delivery systems, such as gene therapy delivery system can significantly alter the way we treat a host of diseases that are, according to modern science, incurable: cancer, autism, some mental illnesses, and rare genetic illnesses. Specifically, combining AI, big data, robotics, gene therapy, and medical research has unleashed a host of possibilities to cure these types of diseases. At the same time, the combined innovation efforts are helping people with disabilities live their lives better.
Here’s an overview of some of these advances as we move into the new year.
For years, cancer treatment has been at the forefront of medical research. There have been different attempts to address the various types of the disease. However, with AI and the promise of a gene-editing tool such as the CRISPR/Cas9, researchers finally have a way to convert cancer cells into non-cancerous cells by deleting genes and re-engineer the cells. The application of this procedure is particularly useful in certain types of blood cancers, where the proliferation of the cancerous cells can spread rapidly. A recent study sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania, the Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy and Tmunity Therapeutics, received promising results trying this new procedure on patients in a clinical trial. Although the results are pending and the path forward is complex, this form of cancer treatment may finally point to a cure.
Autism is a developmental spectrum disorder that affects an increasing number of children in the world. It is a debilitating disorder that inhibits normal child development in children who are on the Autism Spectrum. Currently, there’s no cure. The promise of AI has allowed companies to attempt to help those living with Autism to live better lives and to integrate into the world. Robots such as the QTrobot and Milo are teaching children social skills and identifying their emotions. Other robots, such as the InMoov teach children sign language, while Zeno teaches children how to communicate, and KASPAR reciprocates mechanical love. The autism glass project from Stanford University aims at helping children on the Autism spectrum to live better by providing feedback in social situations, such as greeting people, expressing needs, and resolving conflict to help them adjust to situations in daily life.
Due to Autism being viewed as a developmental disorder rather than a disease, research has not focused heavily on a cure. When Elon Musk unveiled his Neuralink research and white paper, this year, suddenly, there emerged debates around whether Autism can be “cured”. Musk in his interview on the “Artificial Intelligence” podcast with Lex Fridman, revealed that Neuralink can potentially treat many brain-related diseases such as autism.
Musk was quoted saying “So Neuralink I think at first will solve a lot of brain-related diseases.
