The University of Oxford announced on Tuesday that it will step up its efforts to develop artificial intelligence (AI) healthcare applications with funding support from public and private sectors, so as to benefit patients.
The British government is investing to establish a network of digital pathology, imaging and AI centers, in a bid to drive innovation in the use of AI for improved diagnosis and delivery of precision treatments, according to an Oxford statement.
Oxford is to be home to one of the five new technology centers in Britain, and is also a collaborator in two of the other centers.
The University of Oxford-led center is the National Consortium of Intelligent Medical Imaging (NCIMI), in which UK Research and Innovation is investing 10 million pounds (13.1 million U.S. dollars). NCIMI will also benefit from a further five million pounds of funding provided from its commercial partners.
The consortium includes 15 local hospitals, industry, charities, and patient support groups to develop new artificial intelligence tools to help speed up diagnosis of cancer, heart disease, genetic disorders and other conditions.
"All of the Oxford-based SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) are excited to be part of the consortium working alongside industry and other partners to support the development and use of AI in healthcare," said Professor Sir Michael Brady, Executive Chairman of NCIMI.
