From early disease detection to facial-recognition tech, here’s how AI is integrated with everyday tools

Artificial intelligence, or the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, once existed only in science fiction novels and movies. But today, the technology is being integrated into more and more applications, influencing how we live our everyday lives.

For businesses, AI has become a real competitive advantage. Companies are increasingly looking at how AI will bring value to their operations and customers. In a recent study, 50% of 2,395 respondents reported that their companies had adopted AI in at least one of their business functions.

At the same time, AI is making inroads into our lives at all levels. Whether it’s your smartphone autocorrecting spelling mistakes or the algorithm that decides what appears in social feeds, AI is doing the heavy lifting. And then there are the more visible applications of AI that are bringing greater convenience and efficiencies to our day-to-day interactions — chatbots, navigation tools, voice assistants, and more.

When it comes to technological innovation in the field of AI, Taiwan is punching well above its weight class, building on its reputation as a global hub for information and communications technology and semiconductor production. Below are three Taiwanese companies — all of which were celebrated recently at the 2021 Taiwan Excellence Awards — whose product innovations highlight how AI is already changing our lives for the better.

The need to access speedy and accurate medical diagnoses, often managed remotely, is a growing trend in healthcare that has been accelerated greatly by the pandemic. And thanks to the growing availability of AI-driven medical solutions, early disease detection is becoming a reality for a growing number of people around the world.

Over 400 million people worldwide have diabetes, and it is estimated that one-third of these patients will eventually progress to diabetic retinopathy (DR), a condition that damages the back of the eye and can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated. This is due in part to screening rates of less than 50%, even in developed countries. However, because of AI-assisted diagnostic software, it may be possible for doctors and ophthalmologists to catch DR earlier and raise the standard of diabetes care.

This software is produced by Acer Medical and known as VeriSee DR. It provides support on clinical decisions by using AI to analyze images of a patient’s retina and delivering a referral recommendation. The device takes just three seconds to determine whether the patient should be referred to an ophthalmologist for further care and has already obtained approvals from regulatory authorities in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Thanks to the AI technology powering VeriSee DR, patients are able to stay on top of their health checks, while doctors and ophthalmologists benefit from a more efficient referral process.