Microsoft’s deepening health tech strategy now includes a significant commitment to AI. The company is starting a $40 million AI for Health program that should help researchers and key organizations improve the quality of life for people around the planet. The five-year initiative will use AI to improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment, as you might have expected, but it’ll also be used for global-scale health insights and to improve access to healthcare in areas where it’s often costly or hard to find.
微軟帶來的醫療科技貢獻現在又多了一項：AI人工智慧。目前投入了4千萬美金創建AI for Health平台，協助研究人員及相關的重要組織為改善所有人的生活品質而努力。近五年的目標不只包含了運用AI技術於疾病的診斷、防疫、治療方面上，也能夠為全球普及健康新知，為資源不足地區的人民開闢一條新的管道接觸醫療。
The money will go toward a mix of nonprofits, researchers, industry pros and governments, giving partners access to AI and cloud tools, Microsoft data scientists and “select” cash grants. Existing projects aim to improve the understanding of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, boost efforts to fight leprosy, upgrade tools to limit preventable blindness and widen access to cancer information. Microsoft is also growing its cooperation with BRAC, PATH and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to accelerate developments in areas like maternal mortality, tuberculosis and childhood cancer.
將受用到這項資源的人包括：非營利組織、研究學者、產業專家、政府，他們可以利用此平台接觸到AI技術、雲端工具、微軟數據科學家，以及部分的人可以接受到現金補助。現在正在進行中的專案目標包含了幫助釐清嬰兒猝死症的認知、推動對抗痲瘋病、升級醫療設備來減少失明個案，以及普及對於癌症的觀念宣導。微軟也與各級單位加強合作關係，包含了非政府組織BRAC、PATH，以及聖裘德兒童研究醫院，推動孕產婦死亡、肺結核、兒童癌症的研究發展。
As the company pointed out, some of this work could be vital. Healthcare workers are frequently overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients they need to deal with, but AI is seldom there to help out. Just three percent of AI pros work in health organizations, Microsoft said. While $40 million isn’t a massive amount of funding given the scale of healthcare issues around the globe, it could still help doctors treat more patients and upgrade the quality of care.
微軟指出，關於這方面的研究極為重要。醫療相關人員時常被多數需要他們的病人圍繞著，很少部分的AI技術人員能夠伸手相助。微軟也表示：僅有百分之三的AI專家在醫療產業中工作。4千萬美金的資金投入全球的醫療研究也許不算多，但還是能夠協助醫師更加專注於治療病人、改善照顧品質。
原文來源: https://www.engadget.com/2020/01/29/microsoft-ai-for-health/
