Google is currently testing an artificial intelligence (AI) program designed to answer medical questions accurately, according to reports. The AI tool, known as Med-PaLM 2 (a variant of PaLM 2), has been undergoing testing at the Mayo Clinic and other research hospitals since April. Med-PaLM 2 is built upon the language model called Bard, developed by Google.
The tech giant believes that Med-PaLM 2 will prove particularly useful in areas with limited access to doctors. By training the AI model on a curated set of medical expert demonstrations, Google aims to create a healthcare-specific chatbot that surpasses general-purpose chatbots like Bard, Bing, and ChatGPT.
In an effort to address privacy concerns, Google ensures that customers testing Med-PaLM 2 will retain control over their encrypted data, with Google having no access to it. Greg Corrado, Senior Research Director at Google, acknowledges that Med-PaLM 2 is still in its early stages and states that while he wouldn't want it to be part of his family's healthcare journey, he believes it could significantly enhance healthcare where AI can be beneficial.
Additionally, Google recently updated its privacy policy, clarifying that publicly available data may be utilized to train its language models, replacing the term "AI models" with "language models." This change reflects Google's commitment to transparency in data usage.
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The introduction of Med-PaLM 2 highlights Google's ongoing efforts to leverage AI technology to improve access to reliable medical information. By developing a specialized chatbot focused on healthcare, Google aims to provide accurate and valuable medical insights to individuals in areas where medical resources are limited. The privacy considerations and commitment to data encryption further emphasize Google's commitment to protecting user data and privacy.
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As testing and development continue, Google's Med-PaLM 2 has the potential to revolutionize medical information access and contribute to enhanced healthcare experiences in the future.
Inputs from IANS
