Computer system 'reading' medical literature

Scientists believe that a computer system, named CRAB, can 'read' medical literature in the same way as humans, promising to make important breakthroughs in the field of research. cancer.

According to experts at the University of Cambridge (UK), CRAB can review millions of scientific research articles to find clues that help determine the cause of tumors, and it has discovered a potential reason. to explain why some chemicals only cause pancreatic cancer in men.

This system is the latest implementation of a fast-growing artificial intelligence called natural language processing, which is also used in Siri personal support software for iPhone 4S phones.

It allows computers to read texts and interpret them even if they are complex and vague, as humans do.

This system will be used for the first time to assess the risks that new chemicals can cause cancer.

'The first stage of any risk assessment is to review the document. That is a big obstacle , 'said Telegraph newspaper, Anna Korhonen, who chaired the development of CRAB.

'There could be tens of thousands of scientific papers on a single chemical. If done manually, it will be very expensive, and because of the increasing number of publications, the handling of them will be more challenging , 'she stressed.

It is hoped this technology can be used for other fields.