Facebook Uses AI To Predict If COVID-19 Patients Will Need More Care

Facebook is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to help doctors predict whether they will need more resources, such as extra oxygen to care for COVID-19 patients in hospitals. CNET reports: The social network said Friday it developed two AI models, one based on a single chest X-ray, and another from a series X-rays, that could help forecast if a patient infected by the coronavirus is likely to get worse. A third model predicts the amount of extra oxygen a COVID-19 patient might need. Facebook’s AI models generally did a better job than a human when it came to forecasting up to four days in advance if a patient will need more intensive care resources. Partnering with with New York University Langone Health’s Predictive Analytics Unit and Department of Radiology, Facebook’s AI research is another example of how tech companies are trying to help the health industry battle COVID-19. […] Facebook’s models rely on a technique in which AI learns on its own rather than depending on data labelled by humans, which can be a time-consuming process. The social network and NYU are publishing their research and open sourcing the AI models.