Shanghai speeds up integration between AI and medical industry

Shanghai will speed up AI integration with medical and healthcare sectors, with more applications and professional contests, industry officials said on Friday.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has chosen Shanghai to hold national AI contests on industrial, finance and medical sectors. National AI firms including many startups on medical AI will come to Shanghai to show their latest applications.

It will boost the city's AI development and achieve its target to become an  "AI highland." At present, more than 3,000 AI-related firms have gathered in Shanghai, said Zhang Ying, vice director of the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Development, the local industry regulator.

Shanghai has rich medical resources of doctor and medical data. The city will boost the connection between hospitals and IT firms like Amazon and Yitu.

Healthcare management, smart assistance of diagnosis, film and data analysis and forecast and warning system are already used in local hospitals, said Zhu Fu, chairman of the Xuhui District Central Hospital.

Many medical AI startups will also attend the AI Win contest, which is a part of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference. WAIC, a top-level national AI conference and exhibition event, will be held in Shanghai next month.