Microsoft announced Thursday that leading U.S. health, education and research organizations have formed a group aimed at accelerating AI innovation and healthcare applications.
The Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Consortium (AI3C) will leverage the Brookings Institution, Cleveland Clinic, Duke Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Microsoft, Novant Health, Plug and Play, Providence, UC San Diego and University of Virginia.
From diagnosing and treating disease to addressing care disparities, overcoming social barriers, accelerating research and reducing physician burnout, AI has the power to revolutionize healthcare, According to new coalition leaders.
To achieve this, AI3C is working towards some core goals. These include presenting new AI innovations, gathering industry-specific information on how AI is used, developing best practices for responsible AI implementation, and preparing students for careers in AI and data science.
“Meeting the urgent need for new health technologies requires diverse partners across sectors,” Ashley LawrenceMicrosoft’s vice president and managing director of Research and Incubation said in a press release announcing the alliance. “From the perspective of AI practitioners, healthcare professionals and the research community, AI3C can guide collaborative projects and accelerate the translation of cutting-edge technologies from research to solution development to implementation.”
The coalition will also seek to address significant economic and industrial challenges, improve people’s digital skills and employability, transform the workforce in ways that reduce clinical fatigue, and improve data access and privacy.
The transformative power of AI extends to other industries such as financial services. The birth of AI3C follows another Microsoft-affiliated Artificial Intelligence Alliance focus on the field December 2020.
The group will also write white papers, engage the broader healthcare community in advancing AI innovation and applications, and host quarterly meetings and events to provide updates on progress. It will provide more details on the affiliate program and how it will impact later this year.
“Artificial intelligence in healthcare gives us powerful tools to address systemic challenges by identifying the true root cause,” Duke Health chief technology officer Shamyla Lando said in a statement, noting the organization’s commitment to eliminating Inequities in clinical care. “Artificial intelligence will enable us to redesign care delivery systems at the population level, and I look forward to creating health equity for our generation and future generations.”
Photo: MF3d, Getty Images
