Google has committed to funding 15 AI-driven projects that aim to enhance the provider experience and patient access to care, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Each of these projects will receive $3 million in the form of technical assistance, cash, and Google Cloud credits. Some projects will also benefit from Google.org Fellowships, where Google employees collaborate with an organization on a pro bono basis for up to half a year. Out of the 15 projects, eight are digital health initiatives:
- RAD-AID: An AI platform assisting low-resource hospitals in triaging patients, primarily for respiratory diseases and breast cancer. It also aids in interpreting X-rays and scans.
- Wuqu’ Kawoq and safe+natal: Collaborating to create a machine learning tool kit for midwives in Guatemala’s rural areas to detect neonatal complications in real-time.
- MATCH: A University of Melbourne and CSIRO project that merges music with wearable sensor tech to reduce agitation in dementia patients.
- Makerere AI Lab: Developing a 3D-printed adapter that uses AI to process images, assisting Ugandan providers in diagnosing diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, and cancer.
- IDinsight with Reach Digital Health: A natural language service for expectant mothers in South Africa, offering answers and essential health data.
- Causal Foundry: A smartphone tool using machine learning to aid community health providers in Sub-Saharan Africa in managing patient information related to pregnancy and childbirth.
- Jacaranda Health: An SMS-based platform for expectant mothers in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing behavioral nudges and a natural language help desk.
- University of Surrey and Signapse: Using generative AI to translate text for the deaf in the U.S. and U.K., offering videos in sign language for easier access to healthcare information.