Smartphones equipped with special AI software could be used to help in identifying health conditions as a result of some ground-breaking work being done by the University of South Florida.
► Project will aim to develop apps that help identify potential early-stage conditions
► $18m being invested over four years
The US National Institutes of Health is running a project, led by the University of South Florida to look at how changes in voice patterns might indicate underlying or developing health issues. In particular, the Voice as a Biomarker of Health project is looking at potential indicators for specific forms of cancer that affect the throat and vocal chords, and diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It could also be used to identify possible heighted risk or early stages of stroke, pneumonia, and even depression.
Almost $18 million is being invested in the project over the next four years, during which time the team will record and compare voice samples and health data from more than 20,000 people. The aim will be to develop voice AI-driven screening apps that can be used to identify early signs of conditions quickly and easily. At a later stage it’s also envisaged that wearable devices that pick up on changes to an individual’s voice pattern will also be made available.
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