Data Roundup: Top News in the Digital Sphere
In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), significant advancements have been made across various sectors as we move towards mid-2025.
Disease Tracking & Public Health
AI is making substantial strides in infection tracking and disease prevention, playing a crucial role in real-time modelling of transmission chains to help public health authorities respond swiftly during outbreaks. AI-powered digital chatbots are enhancing patient communication, screening for diseases like HIV, TB, and STIs, while computer vision algorithms are aiding faster diagnosis, such as interpreting chest X-rays for tuberculosis with higher accuracy than non-specialist clinicians. These tools enable human experts to focus on intricate patient care [2][3][4].
Cancer Detection
In the field of oncology, AI breakthroughs are promising. Predicting tumor stemness to evaluate cancer aggressiveness and recurrence risk by analysing genetic and molecular data is facilitating precision treatment planning and better clinical decision-making [1]. A notable development comes from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where researchers have created a tool that can detect cancer in blood samples using fluorescent carbon nanotubes and machine learning. In tests with blood samples from ovarian cancer patients, this tool has shown more accuracy compared to current methods [5].
Smart Cities
In Scotland, Glasgow City Council has installed smart water systems at two nursery schools, which can empty reserves before storms to open extra storage capacity and reduce the likelihood of flooding [6]. Elsewhere, autonomous shipping is making waves. Orca AI and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha have partnered to create the first autonomous cargo ship in the world, which completed its first journey with minimal human intervention. Walmart has also expanded its autonomous shipping operations to Kansas, using the trucks for deliveries from distribution centers to retail stores [7].
Long COVID-19 Prediction
While no explicit new predictive AI models for long COVID-19 have been reported, the ability of AI to analyse infection chains, genomic data, and clinical patterns suggests ongoing progress in disease monitoring and possibly post-COVID condition prediction techniques [2][4].
In other domains, such as political campaign analysis, urban planning, grocery shopping, video editing, shipping logistics, water management, and specific long COVID-19 prediction models, there is either no new publicly reported advancement in these sources or these areas may be progressing without wide recent disclosure.
As AI continues to evolve, its potential applications in various sectors are vast, promising to revolutionise the way we live, work, and manage our health.
- Machine learning algorithms, combined with data and cloud computing technology, are enabling researchers to analyze various medical-conditions, such as cancer, more accurately, facilitating more targeted treatment planning.
- AI-enhanced research in the field of data-and-cloud-computing could potentially lead to the development of new tools for predicting long COVID-19, helping healthcare professionals monitor and manage post-COVID conditions.
- The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is being utilized in smart cities, as demonstrated by Glasgow City Council's installation of smart water systems in nursery schools to reduce the risk of flooding.
- AI analytics is also playing a significant role in public health, helping authorities model disease transmission chains in real-time, and in the development of AI-powered digital chatbots that can screen for diseases like HIV, TB, and STIs.
- In the realm of science and technology, AI has shown promise in various sectors, from autonomous shipping to video editing, suggesting that its potential applications are vast and could revolutionize numerous industries.
- Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York have developed an AI tool that uses machine learning and carbon nanotubes to detect cancer in blood samples with more accuracy than current methods.
