Technology

Posted on November 14, 2017 by staff

New AI award created to help medical charities

Technology

BenevolentAI, one of the world’s largest private AI companies, in partnership with the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) have announced the creation of the new BenevolentAI Award.

The award, which will be given to a single applicant once a year, will help charities accelerate their medical research and potentially develop new treatments and therapies using artificial intelligence.

BenevolentAI will offer the winning applicant access to the company’s unique technology platform in order to solve specific research challenges the selected charity is facing.

For example, to carry out deep investigation in a specific disease, create a better understanding of the disease, identify new areas and approaches in R&D and accelerate research towards new treatments and cures.

Applications for the award are now open and the deadline for submission is 31 January 2018.

An award judging panel consisting of Jackie Hunter, CEO of BenevolentBio and Aisling Burnand, CEO of the AMRC will assess applications and choose a winner, which will be announced at the AMRC & ABPI Patients First Conference on 20 March 2018.

Jackie Hunter, CEO of BenevolentBio, the bioscience subsidiary of BenevolentAI, said: “Most scientific breakthroughs are made by analysing data, but we live in a world where vast quantities of data make the discovery of new drugs and treatments for disease very difficult.

“We use AI to solve this issue and want to offer medical research charities the chance to benefit from the successes we have had a a company in developing, validating and commercialising this technology.”

Aisling Burnand MBE, Chief Executive of the AMRC, commented: “Getting new treatments to people affected by life threatening and life limiting illnesses is of paramount importance to medical research charities.

“To do this we have to constantly embrace innovation, new ways of thinking, new ways of funding and use every tool in the box.

“Increasingly our members are recognising the vital role that advanced technology can play in accelerating their work.

“The opportunity to have BenevolentAI work on a project for one of our members for a year is a very exciting prospect which could give that research process a huge kick start.”