Robots are Better than Doctors in Medical Diagnosis

 Pepper is an 'emotional' robot which has been available to buy
since June 2015 ( AFP/Getty Images )
Pepper is an 'emotional' robot which has been available to buy since June 2015 ( AFP/Getty Images )
TT

Robots are Better than Doctors in Medical Diagnosis

 Pepper is an 'emotional' robot which has been available to buy
since June 2015 ( AFP/Getty Images )
Pepper is an 'emotional' robot which has been available to buy since June 2015 ( AFP/Getty Images )

Artificial intelligence has proved remarkable abilities in diagnosing various conditions and has outperformed specialists in many fields. Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported that a competition was held between an artificial intelligence system designed for medical diagnosis and a group of experienced doctors from various clinics and hospitals in Moscow.

The doctors were given radiographies and analysis, and were asked to verify whether the patient had a tumor or arrhythmia. The same data was entered into the automated system, which gave a more accurate result.

The head of a technical group working on artificial intelligence technologies said: "Artificial neural networks are able to see patterns that humans cannot easily see, so these networks define the areas to focus on during diagnosis. The size of nodal formations of the tumor, for example, may be very small, and often the robot will identify it and guide the doctor to the area he has to focus on." 

However, experts in the medical and technical fields warned from the errors that may occur in the work of artificial intelligence, and explained that doctors' reliance on it would lead to a decline in their experience. 

However, specialists in the development of artificial neural networks assured doctors that this technical development would not be a substitute for them, but would be helpful to them, and will help them reduce the rate of error in diagnosis.

It is worth noting that a team of technical specialists and doctors are currently working on the design of a unified diagnostic system in Russia that depends on artificial intelligence. 

The main idea behind ​​the project is to pump data into this system with information on the most accurate details of diseases, as well as data on the pathology of the patient. 

The system will be trained on diseases' diagnosis. It will not be confined to a specific hospital or residential area, but will be a unified network connecting various medical institutions in Russia. 

The system is expected to achieve a quantum leap in the medical diagnosis field, with more speed and accuracy.



South Korea’s Birthrate Set to Rise for the First Time in Nine Years 

A woman stands on a rooftop overlooking the Gwanghwamun Gate (back C) of Gyeongbokgung Palace on a polluted day in Seoul on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
A woman stands on a rooftop overlooking the Gwanghwamun Gate (back C) of Gyeongbokgung Palace on a polluted day in Seoul on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
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South Korea’s Birthrate Set to Rise for the First Time in Nine Years 

A woman stands on a rooftop overlooking the Gwanghwamun Gate (back C) of Gyeongbokgung Palace on a polluted day in Seoul on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
A woman stands on a rooftop overlooking the Gwanghwamun Gate (back C) of Gyeongbokgung Palace on a polluted day in Seoul on January 21, 2025. (AFP)

South Korea's birthrate is set to show a rise in 2024 for the first time in nine years, following a rebound in marriages that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Asian country has recorded the world's lowest fertility rates, but the number of newborns between January 2024 and November 2024 rose 3% from a year earlier to 220,094, monthly government data showed on Wednesday.

In 2023, newborns fell by 7.7%, extending declines to an eighth consecutive year and resulting in an annual fertility rate of 0.72, the lowest globally.

The rise comes as marriages rose in 2023, marking the first increase in 12 years after couples had postponed weddings during the pandemic.

In the Asian country, there is a high correlation between marriages and births, with a time lag of one or two years, as marriage is often seen as a prerequisite to having children.

In a government survey last year, 62.8% of South Koreans opposed births outside marriage, though that was down from 77.5% seen a decade ago.

In neighboring China, the number of births rose 5.8% to 9.54 million in 2024, also boosted by delays in marriages due to the pandemic.

The number of marriages in South Korea in the January to November period jumped 13.5% to 199,903. That figure, unless there is a change in December, will mark the biggest annual increase since 1980.

Last year, South Korea rolled out various measures to encourage young people to get married and have children, after now impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a "national demographic crisis" and a plan to create a new ministry devoted to tackling low birth rates.

Most of the measures consisted of financial support through tax cuts and subsidies, namely a one-time tax cut of 500,000 won ($349.35) per person for couples married between 2024 and 2026, though the government has said it will try to take a more comprehensive approach.

The annual data for 2024 is due to be released on Feb. 26.