Google Is Developing An AI Cancer-Spotting Microscope

Google has developed an “Augmented Reality Microscope” (ARM) in collaboration with the US Department of Defense. The prototype uses AI enhancements to add real-time visual indicators such as heat maps or object boundaries, making identifying the presence of known pathogens and cancer cells easier.

The ARM was first teased in 2018, and the latest prototype has still not been used to diagnose real patients. After further testing, Google hopes that the technology will be “retrofitted into existing light microscopes in hospitals and clinics”. Once installed, ARM-equipped microscopes will give clinicians a variety of visual feedback cues, including text, arrows, contours, animations and heat maps.

The US Department of Defense’s “Defense Innovation Unit” has already negotiated agreements with Google to enable Augmented Reality Microscope distribution through military channels. ARM is expected to cost $90,000 to $100,000 per unit — a figure well beyond many local health providers.

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This is not the first time Google Health has invested in AI-powered diagnostic tools. Parent company Alphabet already has a strong record of partnering with startups that invest in AI to “improve healthcare” and is projected to have spent over $200 billion on AI technology over the past decade — something that’s especially noteworthy at a time when the World Health Organization is predicting a worldwide deficit of 15 million health care workers by 2030.