Artificial Intelligence and COVID-19: new research project between HL Learning Health, IST and INESC-ID
The goal is to create AI models to assist in the analysis of thoracic radiographies in patients in a context of emergency.
A consortium integrating Hospital da Luz Learning Health, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and INESC-ID has an innovative project in progress, with the purpose of developing a solution composed of artificial intelligence (AI) models for the analysis of thoracic radiographies undertaken by patients in hospital emergency units, estimating the probability of presenting the characteristics of covid-19 infection. In case of high probability, the models enable to estimate the degree of severity of the disease.
The early identification and characterization of patients with covid-19 in emergency units is crucial to provide the best health care, the thoracic radiography being a complementary global means of diagnosis, which is fast and easy to perform. The creation of these AI models, applied to the analysis of thoracic radiographies in patients in emergency units, assists, in combination with further clinical data, the medical professionals in the detection of suspected cases of covid-19.
The aim is to respond to the following needs:
- Optimize the work of radiologists, identifying and prioritizing in work schedule those radiographies suspected of covid-19;
- Assist physicians of other specialties in the context of emergency, when radiologists are not available, with a tool for the analysis of thoracic radiographies;
- Simplify the decision making for health professionals in the definition of the clinical protocol.
This project is being developed by a multidisciplinary team of radiologists, physicians from the emergency services of Hospital da Luz Lisboa and Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, specialists in ergonomics and human factors, researchers in the areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence, specialists in information systems and managers. The project is financed under the program Portugal 2020 and results will be presented during the first semester of 2021.
Upcoming Events
NII International Internship Programme Presentation and Q&A by Emmanuel Planas
On April 30, Emmanuel Planas, the acting director of the Global Liaison Office (GLO) and responsible for the internationalisation program at the National Institute of Informatics (NII) in Tokyo, Japan, will give a presentation to introduce the NII and its internship program to INESC-ID students and IST’s Master’s in Computer Science students.
Date & Time: April 30, 14h00
Where: Sala Polivalente, Técnico – Taguspark
“The NII International Internship Program is an exchange activity with students from institutions with which NII has concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement. This incentive program aims at giving interns the opportunity for professional and personal development by engaging in research activities under the guidance and supervision of NII researchers.
The NII Internship Program is open to Research Master’s and PhD students who are currently enrolled at one of the partner institutions that have signed an MOU agreement with NII.”
Educational Workshop on Responsible AI for Peace and Security (UNODA)
On June 6 and 7, The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) are offering a selected group of technical students the opportunity to join a 2-day educational workshop on Responsible AI for peace and security.
The third workshop in the series will be held in Porto Salvo, Portugal, in collaboration with GAIPS, INESC-ID, and Instituto Superior Técnico. The workshop is open to students affiliated with universities in Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa, Oceania, and Asia.
Date & Time: June 6 a 7
Where: IST – Tagus Park, Porto Salvo
Registration deadline: April 8
Summary: “As with the impacts of Artificial intelligence (AI) on people’s day-to-day lives, the impacts for international peace and security include wide-ranging and significant opportunities and challenges. AI can help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but its dual-use nature means that peaceful applications can also be misused for harmful purposes such as political disinformation, cyberattacks, terrorism, or military operations. Meanwhile, those researching and developing AI in the civilian sector remain too often unaware of the risks that the misuse of civilian AI technology may pose to international peace and security and unsure about the role they can play in addressing them. Against this background, UNODA and SIPRI launched, in 2023, a three-year educational initiative on Promoting Responsible Innovation in AI for Peace and Security. The initiative, which is supported by the Council of the European Union, aims to support greater engagement of the civilian AI community in mitigating the unintended consequences of civilian AI research and innovation for peace and security. As part of that initiative, SIPRI and UNODA are organising a series of capacity building workshops for STEM students (at PhD and Master levels). These workshops aim to provide the opportunity for up-and-coming AI practitioners to work together and with experts to learn about a) how peaceful AI research and innovation may generate risks for international peace and security; b) how they could help prevent or mitigate those risks through responsible research and innovation; c) how they could support the promotion of responsible AI for peace and security.”