Google to Use Technology to Read Handwritten Prescriptions by Doctors

• Google Research India recently announced that artificial intelligence can accurately identify and highlight medicines

Have you ever received a doctor’s prescription that is virtually incomprehensible?

Google is developing a sophisticated AI and machine learning model to identify medications on even the most complex, handwritten prescriptions provided by physicians. Not only that, but this technology can highlight these medicines with precision.

At Google for India’s 2022 event, held on the 19th of December, Google declared that their new model will help to digitize medical documents that are handwritten. This technology is meant to be an assistive aid for pharmacists; according to a blog posted by the tech giant. Although this feature is still under development and not yet complete – it must be noted that no decisions should solely rely upon the output from this system.

On Monday, Google Research India announced the launch of a system designed to enhance human capabilities in digitizing handwritten medical documents like pharmacists. This new technology works as an assistant that assists humans and amplifies their productivity.

Nonetheless, the final decision will not solely rely on what is provided by the technology.

Google India stated, “You may be thinking, we’ve had the technology to interpret text from images for decades now: so what’s new, and what sets prescriptions apart? Ironically, what makes prescriptions hard for computers to digitize is the same thing that makes them hard for you and me to read — they’re unstructured, in shorthand, and full of clues for pharmacists to decipher.”

The system is still in the early stages of development, and Google India has yet to confirm a launch date. However, they have stated that updates concerning its broader rollout will be made available at some point. TechCrunch reported that the feature is only currently present as a research prototype.

Google Research India emphasizes the significance of creating AI responsibly, to which they have dedicated $1 million in grants towards the Indian Institute of Technology’s Madras Center for Responsible AI, making it the first-ever multidisciplinary center exclusively focused on responsible AI.

According to Gizmodo, Google will be adding the technology to its already expansive library of applications within Google Lens which has been successfully transcribing handwritten notes for some time now.