Microsoft inks AI eyecare deal
Microsoft India is using artificial intelligence (AI) in a bid to eliminate avoidable blindness. The company and LV Prasad Eye Institute launched the Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare, a consortium of global institutions seeking to build machine-learning predictive models for vision impairment and eye disease. There are 285 million visually-impaired people worldwide, including 55 million in India.

HYDERABAD: To use artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of eyecare, Microsoft India, in collaboration with L V Prasad Eye Institute launched Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE), on Monday. This is a consortium of different institutions with similar goals who have joined hands to apply artificial intelligence to help eliminate avoidable blindness and scale delivery of eyecare services across the globe.The partner organizations, which include Bascom Palmer from University of Miami, Flaum Eye Institute from University of Rochester, Federal University of Sao Paulo and Brien Holden Vision Institute, will collectively work on diverse datasets of patients across geographies to come up with machine learning predictive models for vision impairment and eye disease.Microsoft will deploy its cloud platform technology Cortana Intelligence Suite for advanced analytics and to build intelligence models on eyecare. “MINE, a global collaboration, reinforces Microsoft’s belief in the combined power of data, cloud and advanced analytics to drive public good,” said Anil Bhansali, managing director of Microsoft India (R&D). “In our shared vision to eradicate preventive blindness, MINE will help redefine eyecare by bringing together the power of technology and knowledge of global experts.”Currently 285 million people are visually impaired, of which 55 million reside in India. “We are confident that this partnership will not only open doors to opportunities in the field of eyecare, but also pave way for others to leverage technology to address several other critical eye diseases,” said Dr. G.N. Rao, founder-chair of L V Prasad Eye Institute.MINE will bring together different partner organizations on Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform Azure to collectively work on ideas of impact.