It was nearly 70 years ago when the term “Artificial Intelligence” was first coined by emeritus Stanford Professor John McCarthy, who defined it as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.”
Could he possibly have known then what we all know now?
The first functioning AI programs were written in 1951 to run on the Ferranti Mark 1 machine of the University of Manchester: a checkers-playing program written by Christopher Strachey and a chess-playing program written by Dietrich Prinz.
But that’s old school. Today, artificial intelligence, also known as AI, is all around us. AI is certainly not new, but in the last few years it has become ubiquitous.
Americans have actually enjoyed a long love/hate history with smart machines — some real, some fictional. The idea of a machine being smarter than us and even taking us over is certainly not new. But now it feels a little less like fiction and a little more like science.
On the “fun” side, remember Robby the Robot from “Forbidden Planet” in 1956, or the campy robot named, er, Robot from “Lost in Space” in the 1960’s, or “Hal,” the creepy human-like computer in “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 1968 who turned human-ish and took over the space ship? Then there’s “The Terminator,” and “Blade Runner,” and many more.
In 2023, smart machines are reaching out and touching all aspects of our lives. These intelligent machines are fun, fascinating, maddening, dangerous and yes, even lifesaving.
Artificial intelligence is essentially the art and science of machines that can think like human beings and do things that are considered “smart.” But unlike humans, AI can process enormous amounts of data in just seconds. That makes them even more valuable and more frightening.
There are many reasons why we must keep a close eye on what humans are doing with these technologies. At the same time, AI brings us unprecedented opportunities to move the ball forward in cancer research and much more.
Forward-thinking cancer companies like Insilico Medicine, for example, a clinical stage artificial intelligence drug discovery company that you can read about in our story below, are shining a positive light on AI and what these machines can do for cancer patients.
The company’s mission is to extend healthy, productive longevity by transforming drug discovery and development with generative artificial intelligence, significantly reducing the time and cost to bring life-saving medications to patients.
No Reservations
Like most humans, I have mixed feelings about AI. But I have no reservations about leveraging this technology for those who are supporting the cancer industry and helping people fight this disease and other diseases.
AI is already making a positive difference in the cancer universe. Doctors, scientists and researchers have built artificial intelligence models that can very quickly and accurately identify cancer, speed up diagnosis, and much more. This is just the beginning.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. It results in about 10 million deaths annually, or nearly one in six deaths, according to the World Health Organization. In many cases, however, the disease can be cured if detected early.
Here is just a sample of what AI is already doing for cancer patients:
Brain Cancer
Artificial intelligence is pushing the future of brain tumor treatment forward with the development of tools that can swiftly decode a tumor’s DNA to determine its molecular identity — all during real-time surgery, according to a Yahoo Finance story.
The current procedure can take several days to a few weeks. But with AI the the doctors can provide in real time the critical surgical decisions such as the amount of brain tissue to remove and the necessity of immediate tumor-destroying drugs.
Lung Cancer
Researchers in Boston are reportedly on the verge of a major advancement in lung cancer screening: Artificial intelligence that can detect early signs of the disease years before doctors would find it on a CT scan. Yes, years.
The new AI tool, called Sybil, was developed by scientists at the Mass General Cancer Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. In one study, it was shown to accurately predict whether a person will develop lung cancer in the next year 86% to 94% of the time.
Pancreatic Cancer
An artificial intelligence (AI) model shows potential for detecting early-stage “hidden” pancreatic cancer on scans of asymptomatic individuals, paving the way for surgical intervention and cure, new research suggests. Oxford-based biotech firm Etcembly recently achieved a world-first, creating an immunotherapy drug with the help of generative AI.
Breast Cancer
New AI-powered mammograms at Baptist Health South Florida’s cancer institute in Boca Raton, for example, are helping doctors detect breast cancer earlier in patients, which enables many patients to avoid aggressive therapies, according to the Miami Herald.
At the institute, AI has reportedly helped staff identify cancer as small as 3-6 millimeters in size. Catching the cancer early has led to patients needing less aggressive therapies, fewer mastectomies, smaller lumpectomies and fewer radiation and chemotherapy.
AI Provides Faster, Better Treatment
AI is also reducing the time it takes to wait for things like radiotherapy treatment, according to specialists at the University of Cambridge, who can plan radiotherapy treatments two and half times faster than if they were working alone, ensuring more patients can get treatment sooner and improving the likelihood of a cure.
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Scientists at the Nuclear Medicine Division of the Medical University of Vienna at the Vienna General Hospital (AKH) and European partners are deploying AI to improve diagnostics in Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“The diagnostic methods currently used to predict the course of the disease are relatively crude and inaccurate. We are using artificial intelligence algorithms to improve the accuracy of predictions,” Alexander Haug, deputy head of the Clinical Department of Nuclear Medicine, said in a press statement.
AI Finds Where Cancer Started
For a small percentage of cancer patients, doctors are unable to determine where their cancer originated. This makes it much more difficult to choose a treatment, because many cancer drugs are developed for specific cancer types.
Researchers at MIT and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are using machine learning, a part of AI, that can analyze the sequence of about 400 genes and use that information to predict where a given tumor originated in the body.
“This model could potentially be used to aid treatment decisions, guiding doctors toward personalized treatments for patients with cancers of unknown primary origin,” Intae Moon, an MIT graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science who is the lead author of this new study, said in a press statement in August.
60 Minutes Talks to the Godfather Of AI
On “60 Minutes” last week, there was a chilling conversation with Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called Godfather of AI who worked for the last decade at Google and is now apparently retiring.
But before he retires, he is giving the world a harsh warning. Hinton believes AI will do enormous good, but he was rather dire and uncertain about its future.
“AI systems may be more intelligent than we know, and there’s a chance the machines could take over,” he said calmly.
Obviously that is a terrifying thought. Hinton said that what is needed are strict controls over how AI is used. He said, for example, that every nation should sign a pledge that they will not use AI as military robots.
Hinton alluded to AI and healthcare just once in the entire piece. And cancer wasn’t even mentioned — despite all the positive activity happening with AI in cancer clinics and labs. It’s unfortunate, because he could have given a real endorsement to the companies who are doing the right thing.
The “60 Minutes” piece could have been a far more positive and far less ominous report on a technology that is doing so much good work as we speak. But I can hardly blame CBS News for the somewhat negative stance.
Do we need some controls over AI? Yes. Of course. Unquestionably. But should we also learn more about how AI can help cancer patients?
To that end, an entirely new type of cancer company is popping up. I write this week about companies are already using AI in a positive way to advance technologies that help cancer patients learn more about their cancer and how to fight it. We hear of another positive use for AI in the cancer arena virtually every day.
Should we keep a close eye on AI? Of course. But cancer patients want, need and deserve this technology. It’s already saving lives and will save many more. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. We think John McCarthy would agree.
