Synyi, a Shanghai-based artificial intelligence-powered medical data solutions provider is exhibited at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2018 in Shanghai. [Photo/IC]

A white paper on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector was recently released in Shanghai, Pudong Times reported on Jan 16.

Jointly compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the Shanghai Industries Intelligence Services, the paper is composed of four parts which reviews and summarizes the domestic development of AI in the medical field, and analyzes the popular areas of AI medical research as well as challenges and future trends in major countries around the world.

As a guidebook for the domestic development of AI in the healthcare sector, the paper looks into the application of AI in five major medical areas including medical imaging, assisted diagnosis, drug development, health management, and disease prediction, among which the AI-driven medical imaging is the most developed in China, the report says.

Suggestions for the development of AI healthcare in Shanghai is also included in the paper, involving introducing professional talents, developing medical sensor technology, strengthening medical supervision and encouraging the participation of pharmaceutical companies.

With the application of big data, internet and information technology in the field of smart medical care, the development of AI healthcare is developing rapidly, said Jin Yaohui, a professor from Artificial Intelligence Institute, SJTU.

By the end of December 2018, 19 out of 31 provinces and cities in China had issued artificial intelligence plans, of which 16 had set specific industrial scale development goals. Shanghai, Beijing, and Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichuan provinces were the top five locations in terms of the highest industrial scale targets.